Love Lasts Forever
by Safaia Bara
Summary: Naraku is gone, but Kagome's problems are just beginning. A relaxing vacation soon turns into the biggest battle she will ever face. Will she survive? And if so, who will be there to share her victory?
1. Vacation

Hi everyone. This is my first chapter fanfic so I can't brag about how good it is.. I would really appreciate constructive criticism, but try not to flame me too bad. If you have any suggestions I would be glad to hear them, but I've already been working on this story for months, so I don't know what I will be able to add.

This is definitely a Kouga/Kagome fic. Don't get me wrong, I luv Inu/Kag, but I luv Kouga more. Here we go…

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. (But I wish Kouga was mine. pout) I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 1: Vacation

It had been one week since Naraku's demise. The battle had been long and hard, and everyone needed to recuperate from their wounds. Surprisingly, no one was seriously injured. The battle had raged on for nearly a day and a half, and with help from Kouga, Sesshomaru, and Kikyou, they had won. The forest was quiet and everyone was finally able to relax. The birds were chirping happily in the trees and the warm summer breeze blew gently through the rustling leaves. InuYasha and friends were resting at the foot of the Goshinboku tree. Kouga was hiding at the edge of the forest, staring at Kagome with love and passion. Ginta and Hakkaku stood behind him. "Finally," Kouga whispered softly to himself, "I can have the life with my beautiful Kagome that I've dreamt of for so long. I-"

"But Kouga, what about Ayame?" Hakkaku interrupted.

"Who?" Kouga's dream-filled cerulean eyes were still locked on Kagome, as if in a trance.

* * *

InuYasha was resting on his favorite branch, as usual, while Shippou was sleeping peacefully in Kagome's arms. Sango was resting her head on Miroku's shoulder, his arm wrapped around her lithe waist, not daring to go any lower at the moment. Kirara was resting in Sango's lap.

InuYasha's mind was buzzing with conflict. _'Damn, what am I gonna do? There's no way I can tell Kagome that I love her. After everything I've put her through with my relationship with Kikyou, she could never forgive me. How can I show her how I feel?' _

He chanced a quick glance down at the miko. She lightly stroked Shippou's back and he instantly snapped out of his seemingly horrible dream. An involuntary smirk crossed his lips as his eyes lingered on the young woman. "I know I made the right choice, but what can I do to let her know that?"

Kagome heard a murmur coming from up above her and looked up to see InuYasha staring at her, a smile widening across his face. She returned the smile, only to have him turn his back on her. Apparently, once he realized that he had been caught in one of his rare content moments, he was abashed for lowering his guard and hid his red face from view.

Two hours passed and Shippou had just woken up from his refreshing nap as he let a huge yawn escape his mouth. Kagome was deep in thought about what was to happen next. _'What am I gonna do now? I have no real reason to stay here now that the jewel is whole again. Of course I would miss all of my friends. Sango's like a sister to me and Miroku is like a perverted older brother. And I love Shippou like he was my own son. Then there's InuYasha. I mean, I love him but I can't help but feel like I'll always be second string in his eyes. I think he cares about me, but he'll always love Kikyou. It's so hard for me to look at him when I know his heart belongs to someone else. I don't think I can do it anymore. I need to go home for a while. Hey…'_

"Umm, guys?"

InuYasha jumped down from his perch and landed a few feet away from her, causing both Kagome and Shippou to jump out of their skin. Kagome could have sworn she was going to have a heart attack. All of her friends turned to look at her.

" I need to go home." Everyone's hearts plummeted. Kagome was leaving them and returning to her time for good. At least, that's what they thought. "And I was thinking…what if I used the Shikon No Tama, since it's finally whole again, and wish to transform the well. Then you can all go through the well and come to my time. Think of it as a short vacation!!"

The entire group just stared at her. Miroku was the first to break the silence. "Uh, Kagome? Won't that taint the jewel? I mean, not to say you are being selfish or anything, but wouldn't that wish be to your benefit?"

"Well… I was thinking about that. If you all decide that you want to go with me, then the wish wouldn't just be something I want, therefore, it wouldn't be selfish." Kagome replied, hoping her logic made sense.

Sango smiled warmly. "Kagome, I think that is a great idea. Your time has so many amazing things. I would love to learn more."

"I agree. I wonder… if Kagome's outfit is like that…what do the other women wear?" Miroku mused, a lecherous grin creeping onto his face. Unfortunately for him, Sango heard his little question.

"HENTAI!" she screeched. The next thing Miroku knew, he was seeing stars.

Kagome winced. "We should probably head out first thing in the morning." Kagome suggested. They all agreed.

* * *

Nobody had trouble getting to sleep that night. No one that is, except InuYasha. "Thank kami. She isn't going home for good. That will give me more time to figure out how to tell Kagome how much I love her and want to be with her." And with that final thought, InuYasha slipped into a fitful sleep, dreaming of a future life with the miko.

* * *

Kouga had been smart enough to stay downwind of the group so that the "mutt" wouldn't be able to catch his scent on the breeze. His sapphire eyes bore into the hanyou, burning a hole through his body. He had been listening intently to the whole conversation. _'What the hell? What in the world is the Bone-eater's well? And what does any of this have to do with Kagome? I don't know, but I'm gonna find out' _

* * *

Kagome was awake an hour earlier than normal, excitement for the days ahead racing through her veins. Not wanting to, nor being able to, sit around and do nothing while waiting for her friends to get up, she decided to start preparing breakfast.

An hour later, the rest of the group awoke to the delicious aroma of Kagome's cooking. Their breakfast consisted of datemaki, grilled fish, and of course, the ever present ramen. The wolf demons remained hidden in the shadows, not wanting to draw attention to themselves just yet. It was too early in the morning to pick a fight with the inu-hanyou, especially with Kagome in such a good mood.

After breakfast, the group, save one stubborn half-demon, all graciously thanked Kagome for the meal. "InuYasha, don't you think you ought to thank Kagome for her effort and time?" Miroku was trying to help his friend get out of trouble. But InuYasha, being as thickheaded as he was, just dug himself a deeper hole, literally.

"Feh. Why should I? The only good part about it was the ramen." Uh-oh.

"InuYasha! SIT!" BAM! "DAMN YOU WENCH!" "SIIIIT"

Miroku and Sango shook their heads while Shippou burst out laughing, using Kagome's legs as a shield.

'ooooh, he can be such a jerk. Sometimes I wonder why in the hell I put up with him.' She looked over at her friends and smiled softly.

"Alright! Let's get going!" she chirped happily

* * *

Once they reached the Bone-Eater's well, Kagome held the jewel close to her heart and made the wish. "Midoriko, true keeper of the Shikon No Tama, please let no power deter those who wish to travel through the Bone-Eater's Well." And with that, the sacred jewel was engulfed in purple flames and burst, leaving nothing but pink dust.

Now was the moment of truth. 1...2...3.

They jumped. Kouga and his pack mates looked on in confusion and astonishment as a bright blue light emanated from the well. They waited a few moments before approaching the well to find that the others had vanished. Kouga's lips curled into a devilish smirk.

"Perhaps we should pay my love a visit." And with that, he and his comrades jumped into a new world.

* * *

Here's chapter 1. You like? Yes? No? Review and let me know.

Thank you. Hugs to all.

Btw- I forgot to put a disclaimer on "Please Forgive Me". So, sadly I don't own InuYasha, Kouga, Kagome, or Sesshy in that story either


	2. Painting the Town

Hi again. Here's chapter 2. I would like to thank you for all your wonderful reviews. They made me all warm and fuzzy inside! I was afraid no one would like my story and I'd have to delete it, but I guess not.

I'm not completely satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but I still like it. I hope you do too. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

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Chappie 2: Painting the Town

Miroku, Sango and Shippou were nothing short of stunned. Never in their wildest dreams had they seen anything so… astounding.

"Um, yeah. So this is my home. Are you ready to meet my family?" At a loss for words, they could only nod. Kagome giggled, scooped Shippou up into her arms, and grabbed Sango by the hand. When they reached the front door, Kagome turned to face her friends.

"I need to warn you, my family is not your typical family. My mom is very, um, forward so to speak," she laughed nervously. "As a matter of fact, when she first met InuYasha, she walked right up to him and started playing with his ears." At this, Shippou clutched his tail protectively.

"My grandfather isn't very fond of demons. He's a monk with no spiritual powers whatsoever. He's the one who told my all the stories about the Shikon No Tama. Oh, and then there's Souta, my little brother. He's much worse than my mom, so be careful. He can be very annoying and stubborn. I think he gets it from InuYasha." She whispered the last part so only Sango could hear. They giggled.

That being said, Kagome opened the door and stepped inside the Higurashi shrine. "I'm home!" Footsteps could be heard coming from all directions

"Kagome!" Shippou jumped onto Miroku's shoulder just before Kagome was pulled into a crushing embrace by her mother.

"InuYasha!" Souta skidded to a halt mere inches in front of the hanyou, a huge grin plastered on his face.

Her grandfather, however, was not as thrilled with the new guests. "Ahhh! Demons! Be gone you monsters!" Fake ofudas went flying everywhere and Shippou hid behind his adopted mother.

It was then that Mrs. Higurashi finally noticed the presence of the houshi, taijia, and kitsune. "Oh, hello. You must be Kagome's friends from the feudal era."

Sango stepped forward and bowed graciously to the older woman. "That's right. I'm Sango, that's Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara." she said, pointing to each in turn. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise I'm sure. Oh, isn't she just adorable! May I?" she asked as she noticed Kirara perched on Sango's shoulder. The fire cat mewled and jumped onto Mrs. Higurashi's shoulder. She began to purr, while nuzzling her cheek.

"Mom, I was planning to take my friends out and show them around, but they need some modern clothes."

Her mother smiled at her warmly. "I think that's a fine idea. You and Sango head upstairs while I find something for the boys to wear."

So Kagome and Sango rushed upstairs and got to work.

* * *

Just as the two girls were putting the finishing touches on their outfits, they heard a soft knock on the door. As they got closer, they could hear someone whimpering. "K-kag-gom-me-e."

They opened the door to find Shippou looking up at them on the verge of tears. "Shippou, what's wrong? What happened sweetie?"

"Your bro-ther pulled my t-tail!" He jumped into Kagome's arms and she hugged him to her tightly.

"Shhh, shhh. It's alright. Don't worry. I won't let him hurt you again." Her soothing words calmed him down and he gave her a big grin.

Just then, they heard an irate InuYasha yell, "Are you ready yet?"

"Coming!"

Shippou ran ahead of the girls and jumped onto the banister. He introduced them as if they were entering a royal ball. "And here is the lovely Sango!"

Miroku's jaw dropped as Sango made her entrance. She was wearing a pair of forest green corduroy hip-hugger bell-bottoms, brown kitten heel shoes, and a fitted brown t-shirt that read "Look but don't touch". Her hair was up in a braided bun.

When Miroku was finally able to catch his breath, he gasped, "Sango, you look absolutely beautiful!" A bright red blush tinted her cheeks at his compliment.

"Thank you Miroku. You don't look too bad yourself," she replied shyly. And indeed she was right.

He was wearing a fitted black short-sleeved t-shirt that showed off his muscles perfectly, a pair of tight, dark wash blue-jeans, and black sneakers. He had just finished escorting Sango down the stairs when Shippou announced Kagome's presence. The whole room went deathly silent.

* * *

Calling Kagome beautiful would be the understatement of the century. There seemed to be a celestial glow about her that would make the kami above green with envy. She was wearing a pleated baby blue skirt that hit just a few inches above the knee, the hem was adorned with an embroidery pattern of pink sakura blossoms. Her top consisted of a white lace camisole that nipped in at her waist, and a peach shrug. Her hair was down in a French braid and she was wearing pearly-peach kitten-heeled shoes that matched Sango's.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside at the window, Kouga and his comrades were waiting for the group to leave so they could follow. When he heard the kit call out Kagome's name, he decided to risk a glance. His breath caught in his throat. She looked radiant. In that moment, he was absolutely positive that he loved this woman more than life itself and would do anything to make her happy.

* * *

Back inside, InuYasha was stunned to say the least. He was so preoccupied with Kagome that he still hadn't noticed "the stench of that mangy wolf".

Suffice it to say, the hanyou didn't look too shabby either. He was wearing a red, short-sleeved polo shirt, baggy black jeans, white sneakers, and, of course, his infamous red baseball cap.

No matter how much poor Shippou begged and pleaded, he was forced to stay back at the shrine with Souta and Kirara. But Kagome made it very clear to her brother that if he did anything to the kitsune while the were gone, he might not live to see his next birthday. The young woman was very protective of her adopted son. _'She'll make a fine mother to our cubs/pups'_ both Kouga and InuYasha thought at the exact same time.

And with that, the four friends made their way into the city. Mrs. Higurashi had given each of them _plenty_ of spending money.

* * *

On their way to the mall, Kagome was explaining to her friends that there were no youkai or hanyou in this time period, and that the people here didn't believe they ever existed. She also told them about how the mall was somewhat of a large indoor marketplace.

With all of Kagome's constant "blabbering", as InuYasha would call it, the half-demon was not in the best of moods… "What the hell are we doing here anyway? This is so boring! What's the point?"

Kagome would have sat him right then and there were it not for all of the other people surrounding them. "InuYasha, you jerk! This is a place to hang out and relax. We need a vacation after that battle with Naraku. Jeez, what is with you today! Your attitude sucks!"

"Well exc_use_ me. There's no reason to…"his sentence trailed off, as the aroma of hot ramen wafted to his highly acute nose.

Kagome's confused expression quickly changed to that of sheer joy. _'Of course! He can smell the ramen in the food court'_ "Oh Inu_Yasha_," she said sweetly, "I'll make you a deal. I'll buy you as much ramen as you want, but you have to let us shop as much as we want afterwards with no complaint." InuYasha looked down and nodded. He would do anything for his ramen… and for his Kagome.

* * *

After InuYasha had finished his eighth bowl of ramen (as well as many weird looks from passers-by), the group finally set out to explore the mall. The girls were running in and out of stores like lightning, while the boys got stuck carrying their purchases.

During this time, Kouga had "borrowed" some clothes from one of the stores. He moved so fast that no one even knew the garments were missing! Apparently, while he was using the jewel shards in his legs, all the running was building up his muscles to the point where he wasn't relying on the jewel at all. He had left Ginta and Hakkaku back at the shrine to wait for him so they wouldn't slow him down. Aside from lurking in the shadows, his new outfit also helped him disguise his scent from "InuTrasha". His outfit consisted of a green short-sleeved t-shirt the read "My bite is worse than my bark", a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans, and Timberland work-boots. Thus he was able to get a much closer view of his soon-to-be mate. It was then that he realized that she was never as happy with him as she was at that moment. In fact, the air between them was a little awkward at times, but he always figured that it was that damn mutt's fault. The more he thought about it though, the more he began to doubt her feelings towards him. Did she even realize how much she meant to him, how much he loved her? Would he have to explain it to her? He knew she cared about him, but was there anything more? Did she love him the way he loved her? He had to find out.

* * *

Hi all! Did you like it? Review please. Oh, and the reason why Kouga knew how to get dresses was that he had been listening to Mrs. Higurashi explain it to InuYasha and Miroku.

Coming up in chapter 3: A short appearance with Kagome's friends and Kouga explains himself. Really fluffy and sappy.

Btw- To those of you whose stories I have reviewed, check my bio page! I've got a message for ya!


	3. HUH!

Konichiwa minna-san. Arigato for all the reviews. I would especially like to thank brakken and Kisshulover1 for all of your support and advice. And I can't believe you Kisshulover1! As I said before, I'm not worthy to be considered a favorite author! You give me too much credit, but I'll try to live up to it!

I have some facts about my story I need to tell you:

1) It has been 4 years since Kagome went down the well, therefore she is now 19 years old.

2) They met Kouga 1 year after they started traveling together

3) In this fic, episodes 99 and 160 never happened. So Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi never met InuYasha (relates to this chapter) nor did Kouga and Sesshomaru meet.

I'll refer back to these when the time comes.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

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Chappie 3: HUH?!

After they left the mall, Sango noticed a rather large building. The sign over the double doors said- "Tsukaru Spa: Come in and soak your worries away!"

"Kagome, what is that?" she asked, pointing to the spa.

"Oh, a spa is like a large hot spring where people wait on you, serve you, stuff like that. And it's a place where Miroku can't spy on us." Both girls smirked evilly at said monk, who sweat dropped. Kagome's face lit up. "Hey, why don't you and I go to the spa tomorrow?"

Before Sango had a chance to answer, a young female voice rang out from behind Kagome. "A day at the spa? Don't leave us out Kagome!" The miko whirled around to see Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi walking up to the group. After introductions had been made, the girls decided to meet at ten o'clock the next morning.

* * *

That was it. The wolf demon, who was nervous as hell, couldn't wait any longer. He needed to know how she felt. He needed to speak with Kagome now. And on that thought, Kouga took off at breakneck speed, following his woman's sweet scent.

* * *

InuYasha shriveled his nose in disgust.

"What's wrong InuYasha?" Kagome asked, her voice tinted with concern.

"Kouga."

"What?! B-but how?" Kagome's eyes grew wide and she gasped. "The well."

The hanyou snarled. "Yeah, and he's comin' fast."

"Um, we gotta go. See ya tomorrow." The group of four barely made it around the corner when they saw that oh so familiar mini tornado headed their way. It was coming closer. And closer. InuYasha let out a low growl and gripped the hilt of his trusty Tetsusaiga. The tornado got closer and closer until suddenly…it passed right by them? They just sat there, dumbfounded.

InuYasha was the first to break the awkward silence. "What the…" He looked over to ask the others what had happened, but he noticed that someone was missing. "Damn! That bastard took Kagome! KAGOME!"

* * *

Kouga, what are you doing? Why are you here?"

Without looking down at her, he simply stated, "I need to talk to you and I had a feeling you wouldn't come without _InuYasha_ putting up a fight." He was barely able to say the half-demon's name without malice laced throughout it.

Without warning, Kouga skidded to a stop and jumped up into a giant blooming cherry tree. He landed on a thick, sturdy branch, placing the young ningen down gently near the trunk. She backed up against the tree, shut her eyes tightly, and waited for him to make his move. But he never did. She warily opened one eye and looked at her captor.

He was sitting a few feet away from her. One foot was on the branch, his forearm resting on his knee; the other leg swinging gently back and forth. His eyes were cast down. Suddenly he looked up and his sapphire blue eyes connected with her radiant toffee ones.

"Kagome…I'm…sorry."

The girl was taken aback. This was not what she had expected. But when she looked deeply into his eyes, she could tell that he was being totally and completely sincere.

"HUH?! I don't understand Kouga. Why?"

Kouga quickly broke eye contact and turned his attention to a blooming cherry blossom next to him. "For all of the times I ever did anything to upset you in any way. I never wanted to hurt you." She could detect a hint of desperation in his voice. "I love you."

"But Kouga, I love-" Her voice escaped her. _'Why can't I say it. I love InuYasha, don't I? I don't know anymore. What about Kouga? I've never seen this side of him before. He's really…sweet. I used to think he was stubborn and hard-headed like InuYasha. But now I see that there is more to him than that. Does he really love me?'_

Kouga sat with his fists clenched, gritting his teeth, and waiting for the inevitable final blow. But it didn't come. His body relaxed and he looked up to meet her gaze. He could see the conflicting emotions battling for control within her. The wolf prince felt that now would be the perfect opportunity to explain himself.

"Kagome?" His voice was no longer desperate, but was filled with concern, hope, and understanding. She looked down at him, her beautiful eyes full of confusion. "I just want you to understand. The only reason I was so aggressive and, well, stubborn, was because I was trying to impress you. Ookami youkai are judged by their power and strength. I was trying to prove to you that I was worthy of you and to show you how much I care about you." He stood up and walked over to her until he was directly in front of her. The poor girl was still speechless. He took her hands in his, just as he always did. But something was different. He held her gently, as if she was as fragile as a porcelain doll. "Kagome, I love you and I always will. That will never change. I will love you until the day I die. I won't ever give up hope that you will some day love me as I love you and you will agree to be my mate." He gave her one of his infamous cocky grins. "I will still check in to make sure you are safe and well, of course. But I will never pressure you into coming with me."

He picked a cherry blossom from a branch above him and placed it in Kagome's hair above her left ear.

Kagome's eyes widened from her dreamlike state and placed her hands on top of his. She found her voice and spoke softly. "K-kouga. I'm sorry. I'm just really confused right now. My feelings are all jumbled and I don't know what to do. Please do me a favor. Give me time. Go back home now. My friends and I will be returning in three day's time. Give me two weeks from then to sort out my emotions. Then I will see if I can settle down and make a decision. If not, and you still wish for me to decide, keep coming by to check. Hopefully I can make a decision soon. I just don't know right now."

Kouga was both relieved that he wasn't shot down, but also nervous of what her decision would be. Yet he was able to speak calmly and with dignity. "Very well. If it means that there is a chance that I can have you as my mate, then I will wait for eternity and even longer if necessary." He smiled down at her and she could have sworn that she saw a mischievous twinkle in his eye. She blushed a rosy pink.

"Thank you Kouga."

He then picked her up bridal style and jumped, landing softly on the ground. He put her down gently.

"No Kagome. Thank you." Her blush deepened.

Little did they know that a blue-eyed, brown-haired boy had been watching from the shadows.

* * *

Well, how was it? Review and let me know! Thanks!

These chapters aren't coming out as long as I thought they would. I hate how seven pages of handwritten work only comes out to three pages typed. ARRRGGG!

Oh and tsukaru is Japanese for soak. Redundant, I know.

Coming up in chapter 4: Inu and Kags get into _another_ fight and Kouga still hasn't gone home! MUCH MORE FLUFF AND SAP!! BE WARNED!


	4. The Battle of the Century

Hi all! I'm back! Yay I posted twice in one week. I don't know how soon I'll be able to post again, so I wanted to give you a gift. Thank you for all of your reviews. I love you guys! I have a notice on my bio page that I need your help with! Please check it out when you're done reviewing. I also updated the rest of it so you can take a look!

I am a tad upset right now. I have had almost 300 hits on this story and that's great. But I only have 14 reviews! That's not even 5! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, but can the others please review too! I wanna know what you think! Oh, by the way…

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 4: The Battle of the Century

"Would you like me to accompany you back to your companions?" Kouga asked hopefully.

"No, Kouga. Thank you anyway. InuYasha is probably angry enough as it is."

The wolf demon sighed. "Very well."

Kagome, who had begun to walk away, spun around and just stared at the man before her. It just wasn't possible! Kouga had just turned down a fight with InuYasha! _'He must really be serious about how he feels about me. I thought he only said those things to get InuYasha jealous. I guess I was wrong.'_ "Um, I really appreciate the-"

"Hey ya mangy, flea-bitten wolf! Get the hell away from Kagome!!" InuYasha, Miroku, and Sango had caught up and were standing behind them.

"Kouga, thank you for your concern. Just give me some time to think things through, okay? I'll talk to you later?"

"Alright, Kagome. I'll see ya around." The young prince turned around to leave. He then looked over his shoulder at the miko and grinned. "Oh, Kagome. I forgot to tell you. You look beautiful today."

Kagome's blush returned full force and she gave him a shy smile. "Thanks. You look good too." And with that, Kouga vanished.

"Alright, what the hell was that about Kagome? Why were you flirting with him? What is wrong with you?!" InuYasha's blood was boiling.

Kagome was now blushing furiously, but this time she was NOT embarrassed. She was thoroughly pissed off. "InuYasha," she seethed through gritted teeth, her voice steadily rising. "I was just being nice! That's what friends do! We were just talking! Kouga is a lot nicer when you're not around to pick a fight! He actually listens to me and cares about what I have to say! Unlike you!" She screeched at the impertinent hanyou.

InuYasha's ears flattened against his skull. He couldn't believe that she thought he didn't care. "Kagome I-"

"Save it InuYasha. I don't even want to hear it." she snapped.

Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi had heard Kagome's outburst and rushed over to see what had happened. Upon their arrival, she flashed them her oh-so-fake smile that made them cringe. They figured she was already very upset so they decided not to pursue the matter.

* * *

They all started walking back to the shrine. When they were about halfway there, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi said goodbye and turned down a side street to go home. By this time Kagome had almost completely calmed down, so she decided to break the awkward silence and clear the air between InuYasha and herself. "Look InuYasha. I'm sorry I flipped out on you like that. But you don't have the right to treat me like a child. I am old enough to make my own decisions and do what I want to do. And I don't understand why you got so upset in the first place. Kouga and I were just talking. It's no big deal."

InuYasha went off the deep end. "No big deal. NO BIG DEAL! He kidnapped you Kagome! Again! You call that no big deal!" he snapped. He then muttered softly, "Stupid wench."

However, Kagome heard it. That was the last straw. "What the hell is your problem?! Did you not hear what I just said?! WE TALKED!! All he did was tell me how he feels about me, again! Nothing more, nothing less! What does it matter to you anyway?! All I ever was to you was a sacred jewel detector! You never cared! So why does it even bother you?!" Her voice cracked as she started to walk away. "You guys can go back to the shrine. I'm going for a walk."

"Would you like some company?" Sango asked, worried about her best friend.

"No thanks Sango. I'll be alright." she choked, trying to hold back the tears. She would not cry again. At least, not in front of him. And with that, she walked off at a brisk pace.

Sango didn't believe that that was all that had transpired between the miko and wolf demon. She knew Kagome was hiding something. She decided that she would discuss it with her at the spa the next day. Sango couldn't stand to see the girl whom she saw as her sister so torn up inside.

* * *

She didn't know where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away. Away from him.

Kagome was fuming. Why? Why did she have to love him so damn much? After all those times he had hurt her, why did she keep going back to him? Why did she put up with his sneaking off to see Kikyou all the time? Kikyou. "Why?!"

She found herself in the middle of the park. How she got there, she wasn't sure. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Then she just started sobbing into her hands. She felt a presence and looked up into a pair of sapphire blue eyes. Eyes full of concern and love. Love for her.

"Please don't cry, Kagome. He doesn't deserve your tears." Kouga whispered as he picked her up bridal style. He walked over to the closest park bench and set her down, sitting down next to her. Not once did either of them break eye contact. Tears were still silently streaming down Kagome's face. Kouga cupped her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"Kouga, what are you still doing here? I thought you went home."

He smiled down at her warmly. "Just as I was about to jump into the well, I heard you yelling and I got worried. I hid behind a tree and heard the argument between you and dog breath. When you left, I followed you to make sure you didn't get hurt."

She smiled back up at him shyly. As she took a closer look at him something changed. Her stomach filled with butterflies and her heart skipped a beat. He looked…different. He was much more handsome than she last remembered. His tan skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. His long dark hair that cascaded down his muscular back was blowing gently in the breeze. Her eyes fell back to his and she held her breath. His eyes outshined the brightest stars. She lost herself in them for what seemed like forever. She felt like she had when she had first been alone with InuYasha. No. This feeling was stronger than that. Stronger that anything she had ever felt towards the inu-hanyou. She felt safe. She felt…loved.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" Kouga asked, concerned.

"I'm feeling much better. Thank you Kouga." She reached over and gave him a kiss on he cheek. Then she pulled back, blushing furiously.

"U-um, d-do you want m-me to walk you home?" he stammered, surprised, but never the less very pleased.

"I'd like that very much."

* * *

As they were walking, Kagome unknowingly slipped her hand into Kouga's. His face lit up and he was in pure bliss. When she realized what she had done, she quickly pulled her hand away and her blush returned.

"I-I'm sorry Kouga. I don't want to confuse you. I still can't get my emotions under control. I don't know what to-"

Kouga put a finger to her lips, signaling for her to stop. "It's alright. I understand. I don't expect you to figure things out this quickly. And I told you earlier. I can wait." His trademark smirk appeared once again and Kagome couldn't help but giggle. Then, as they were exiting the park about ten minutes later, Kouga grasped her hand and laced her fingers with his. She blushed a light pink. "K-Kouga? What are…what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry Kagome. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It just makes me so happy being with you."

Just as he began to pull away, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "Hey, who said you could let go?" she smirked. He smiled down at her.

When they began walking again, they heard an all to familiar voice calling. At least it was familiar to Kagome.

"Hey, Higurashi!"

* * *

Oh no! Guess who! Hope you liked this chappie!

Up next: Basically Kagome just goes INSANE on the poor guy. (no, I'm not gonna tell ya who it is. You're just gonna have to wait and find out if you don't know already!)


	5. Close Encounters of the Turd Kind

Hey guys! I'm baack! Thank you for all of the magnificent reviews, alerts, and faves. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! I am soo happy you like my story!

WARNING: This chapter is not for Hojou lovers! I really, really, really dislike Hojou (I don't hate, remember?) He just pisses me off! Also, Hojou may seem a bit OOC, but the story explains itself!

The title of this story is a quote from the movie, "The Mighty". If you like tearjerkers, than you will like this.

Anyway…enough of my rambling. On with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 5: Close Encounters of the Turd Kind

Hojou had been wandering around the city for a few hours now. He just couldn't figure out who that guy was. Who was that man who had the nerve to hit on his girlfriend. Yes, his girlfriend. Even if they hadn't gone on many dates…and she was always standing him up…and she never got excited about his gifts…even after all that, she was his. HE was always taking care of her. HE was always checking to see if she was okay. HE cared about her. And SHE knew it. So why in the hell was she flirting with another guy? It didn't make any sense!

His thoughts led him to the middle of the park. He heard voices (other than those he always hears) and looked up. Sitting down on a bench was Kagome…and that guy! And she kissed him! He hid behind a tree and watched as the two began walking out of the park. He was appalled to see them HOLDING HANDS!! She was his and no one else's. He was not going to stand for this. She would _not_ cheat on him!

"Hey Higurashi!"

* * *

Kagome groaned.

"What's wrong Kagome? Who is this guy?" Kouga was concerned. If Kagome didn't like this guy, then neither did he.

"His name is Hojou. He's always trying to get me to go on a date with him." Kagome explained.

"Date?"

"Oh…um, he is always trying to…court me. He's too dense to understand that I don't like him. He drives me insane!"

Kouga looked disgusted. "Him…court you? He's not even worth your time. Look at him. He's a PANSY!" Kouga lowered his voice to whisper in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "I'll help you get rid of him for good."

"Just don't hurt him or kill him."

"Awww. That's no fun. Please!"

"No Kouga."

"Alright, alright. I won't hurt him…physically."

Kagome looked up at him in confusion as Hojou walked up.

"Hey, Hojou. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Glad to see your malaria has been taken care of."

"Malaria, yeah. Thanks." She laughed nervously. _'MALARIA! Gramps, what were you thinking!'_

Hojou interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, I was wondering if you wanna go get a bite to eat?"

"Now?!"

Hojou shrugged. "Sure, the night is still young." He completely ignored Kouga's presence.

"Um, if you hadn't noticed, I'm kinda in the middle of something." Kagome said, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Oh yeah? And what might that be?" he asked, getting annoyed himself.

"I'm on a date! Isn't it obvious?!" Kagome released Kouga's hand and clenched her fists. The wolf demon, who was quickly losing his patience with this kid, took a menacing step forward. Hojou didn't seem to notice.

"You can't be on a date. That would mean that you're cheating on me, and you wouldn't do that. Now, come on. I'll buy you dinner." He grabbed her wrist and began dragging her away. She tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but was surprised to find that he had such a strong grip. She was starting to get scared.

Kouga sensed her fear and growled low in his throat. The woman he loved was afraid of this guy and he would not stand for it. In a flash, he ripped Kagome from the boy's grasp and pulled her to him, back to chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders.

"Hey, it looks to me like she doesn't want to go with you. So why don't you just leave or I will MAKE you leave." he snarled.

Surprisingly, Kagome was relieved that Kouga was the one protecting her instead of InuYasha. She wasn't sure why, but for some reason she felt safer with the wolf prince.

Hojou was unfazed by Kouga's threat. Quite the opposite actually; he was getting angry. ""Back off buddy. This is none of your business. Kagome is MY girlfriend, so get your filthy paws off her now!"

That snapped Kagome back to attention. "Hojou! I am NOT your girlfriend! I never was and I never will be! Ever wonder why whenever you asked me out, I never showed up?! Because I don't like you that way. I thought of you as a friend. But after this, that's out the window!!"

By this time, Kouga was restraining her from strangling Hojou on the spot. " Hojou, was it? I'd get outta here if I were you. I can't hold her back much longer." That was a boldfaced lie. He wasn't even using a **quarter** of his demonic strength. He just wanted this jerk out of the way so Kagome would calm down. She had already had a stressful day, and this idiot was just making things worse. Kouga smirked when he saw the brown haired boy running away like a little doggie with his tail between his legs.

* * *

Kagome was still fuming, struggling against Kouga's firm grip. She wanted nothing more than to hunt Hojou down and give him a piece of her mind, and a nice atomic wedgie! _'I'm HIS girlfriend! I belong to HIM! As if! I belong to Kouga!…What?! Where did that come from?! I guess my feelings for Kouga are deeper than I thought, but…how __**do**__ I feel about him? And InuYasha for that matter. InuYasha doesn't care about me, but Kouga does…'_

* * *

Poor Kagome was even more confused than before. She began wriggling even more in Kouga's grasp. She just had to get away. Away from Kouga. Away from InuYasha. Away from her feeling for both of them.

Kouga noticed Kagome's inner turmoil and began to worry. Why was she acting this way? She was safe now. That stupid boy was gone now. He turned her around to face him and pulled her into a tight hug, running his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her. "Shhh. It's alright Kagome. He's gone. I'm right here. I have a feeling that he won't be bothering you ever again. Don't worry, you're safe now."

She snapped. She burst into tears and her knees buckled underneath her yet again. _'Why?! Why does he love me so much? Why does he care? If he didn't love me I wouldn't be torn between him and InuYasha. No, this isn't Kouga's fault, it's mine. Why can't I choose? Why the hell do I have feelings for InuYasha anyway? He doesn't need me. He doesn't want me, he has Kikyou. But Kouga has Ayame. Then again, he always said that he doesn't love her…aarg. I HATE THIS!…But poor Kouga! He must hate this more than I do. So what am I supposed to do about it? I just need to think.'_

Kouga bent down and held her close, rubbing her back gently. He was becoming more and more worried by the second. Suddenly, she stopped crying and tried to get up, shaking slightly.

"Thank you Kouga. I'm sorry."

"What happened?'

She giggled nervously. "Nothing."

"O-kay. C'mon, I'll walk you home…again." he smirked.

Kagome grinned.

* * *

They walked in silence the rest of the way, but it was a comfortable silence. Sooner than either of them wanted, they reached the well-house.

"G'night Kouga."

"Sweet dreams, Kagome."

Without warning, Kouga swooped down and quickly planted a kiss on Kagome's lips. Then, in a flash of blue light, he was gone, leaving a gentle breeze surrounding her. She brushed her hair away from her face and lightly touched her fingers to her lips, savoring the warmth of his lips caressing hers. Her heart skipped a beat.

* * *

WOW! I like this chapter! I would like to thank my friend Abi for giving Hojou that wonderful nickname…PANSY! I think it fits him perfectly.

Next time: Kagome tells all at the spa!

See ya next week! (I hope!)


	6. A Day at the Spa

Hi again. I am soooo sorry I'm so late posting. Some school things came up and well…you know!

I would like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. I would especially like to thank brakken and Kisshulover1 for agreeing to help me with OPERATION: COME BACK. I love you guys! Anyone else who would like to help, the information is on my profile! PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS WONDERFUL CAUSE!

SPOILER ALERT! This chapter relates to episode 38, the scene at WacDonalds with Kagome and her friends! Aright, so, now Kagome, Sango, and the other girls are at the spa. And forward, march!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 6: A Day at the Spa

"Mom! Sango and I are going to meet the others at the spa now!" Kagome called to her mother who was cleaning up in the kitchen. Mrs. Higurashi walked into the living room and smiled at the girls.

"Alright. Have a good time."

"We probably won't be back until around three. After the spa, we're going out to eat and then to the mall for a bit more shopping. Okay?"

"That's fine dear." was all she said before walking back into the kitchen.

And with that, the girls raced out the door.

* * *

They arrived ten minutes before ten and waited for Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. The other three girls arrived five minutes later and they began to file in to the spa. Just as they got to the door, however, they heard a male voice call out from behind them.

"Sango!" It was Miroku. The girls turned to face him as he sauntered up to said demon slayer, grinning brightly.

"Miroku, what are you doing here?" she asked, perplexed. A large vein popped out of her temple. "You are NOT coming in with us!" The others backed up slowly, to get away from both Sango's wrath and Miroku's hands.

Miroku put his hands up in defense. "No, no my dear Sango. I merely wanted to wish you a relaxing day." He leaned in and wrapped his arms around her.

Sango just stood there like a statue. Was he really hugging her? As she began to return the hug, she felt something rub against her backside…

WHAM! The five girls walked into the spa, leaving a stunned, red-faced monk laying on the pavement.

* * *

While they were relaxing in the Jacuzzi, Sango looked over to Kagome and noticed that her mind was somewhere else. She was thinking very hard about something. It was then that she remembered the fight between Kagome and InuYasha the night before.

* * *

"_WE TALKED!! All he did was tell me how he feels about me, again! Nothing more, nothing less!" _

* * *

Sango knew that Kagome hadn't told the entire truth. She had to know what was bothering her "sister".

"Um, Kagome?"

Kagome, who had been pondering her feelings towards both Kouga and InuYasha, snapped out of her thoughts and turned to her best friend. "Yeah?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you seem a little distracted today and I have a feeling that it has something to do with yesterday's events." Kagome nodded slowly. Sango pressed on. "I was hoping you would want to talk about it. I really don't like seeing you upset."

"Yeah, we noticed you were being a little distant too. We want to help." Ayumi piped in. Yuka and Eri nodded.

Kagome sighed. Maybe it would be a good idea to get this whole thing off her chest. Besides, if anyone could help her sort things out, it was Sango. The other three, she wasn't so sure. They would probably try to get her with Hojou again. And after last night, that was never going to happen. Never.

"Alright. Well, you guys know that the fight I had with InuYasha yesterday was because Kouga..."

Yuki interrupted. "Oooh, is he the one who professed his love for you in front of all those people?"

Kagome blushed a bright red and Sango smirked. She just knew that her friend had feelings for the wolf prince. "Um…yeah. He's the one." Her other three friends squealed in delight "_Anyway_, during our little talk yesterday, aside from telling me how much he loved me, he actually apologized for ever doing anything to upset me. And the weird thing is, he was totally and completely sincere about the whole thing! What I don't get is how he can say he loves me and mean it. I thought all those times he fought with InuYasha were ways to get under his skin, and that he was just flirting with me to piss him off. But apparently he really does…love me. So now I'm totally confused because I think I'm falling in love with him too. Then again, I don't know if I fell that way towards InuYasha anymore. Or if I ever did for that matter. I mean, it doesn't bother me so much anymore when he sneaks off to see Kikyou. I still care about him and all. But I think my feelings for Kouga are stronger than anything I ever felt for InuYasha. I don't know what to do!"

The room was silent for a few minutes until Sango spoke up. "Well, I think Kouga is the best choice for you." Kagome looked at her in mild shock. She would never have expected Sango to take his side over InuYasha. Sango giggled at the look on her friend's face. "He's strong, loyal, handsome, not to mention that he'd do absolutely anything to make you happy. And you said it yourself, he _loves_ you. If InuYasha can't decide between you and Kikyou, then he isn't the right one. You've known him longer than any of us, but we all know about his temper, his bad attitude, and how he always has to compare you to Kikyou. You shouldn't have to go through that. And who's to say he won't go back to her and keep sneaking off to see her?"

Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri all nodded in agreement.

Kagome looked down in shame. She knew they were right. But why couldn't she admit it to herself. Why couldn't she accept the fact that InuYasha could never forget Kikyou. And that he would always go running back into the arms of that stupid clay pot. _'But then there's Kouga. He loves me and no one else. Even with Ayame going after him all the time, he could have mated her a long time ago. But he's always stayed faithful to me. Even when he knew I didn't love him. But do I really love him?' _

Sango saw the conflict in the miko's eyes. "Kagome, you are like a sister to me. I won't stand to see you get hurt. And that's just what InuYasha will do to you. That's why I think it would be for the best if you chose to be with Kouga."

Kagome thought for a moment, then smiled. "Thanks guys, I needed that. I'm still a little unsure, but you really helped me a lot."

A gasp from Yuka caught everyone's attention. "But Kagome, what about Hojou?"

Sango was confused. "Who's Hojou?"

"Only the hottest guy in school. _And _he's head over heels for Kagome."

At the sound of that jerk's name, Kagome's thoughts rewound to the night before.

* * *

_Hojou was unfazed by Kouga's threat. Quite the opposite actually; he was getting angry. "Back off buddy. This is none of your business. Kagome is MY girlfriend, so get your filthy paws off her now!"_

_That snapped Kagome back to attention. "Hojou! I am NOT your girlfriend! I never was and I never will be! Ever wonder why whenever you asked me out, I never showed up?! Because I don't like you that way. I thought of you as a friend. But after this, that's out the window!!"_

* * *

"I never want to see that stupid pansy ever again!" she screamed. She then told her friends of the encounter with him last night. By the end, Sango looked as if she was going to rip Hojou's head right off his shoulders. The others were a little skeptical. They had a hard time believing he could be that cruel and possessive.

Just as she was about to argue with them, the rest of her memories of the night flooded her mind and she smiled.

* * *

_Without warning, Kouga swooped down and quickly planted a kiss on Kagome's lips. Then, in a flash of blue light, he was gone, leaving a gentle breeze surrounding her. She brushed her hair away from her face and lightly touched her fingers to her lips, savoring the warmth of his lips caressing hers. Her heart skipped a beat._

* * *

The whole Hojou discussion was dropped. Thinking of her prince, that night, and the kiss they shared made her heart skip another beat. Sango could tell something else had happened, but she would ask later. Why ruin the moment?

* * *

I know this was short, but I didn't know where to go with it!

BTW- can someone please tell me what a Mary-sue oc is? I have some ocs coming in later, and I don't want to get reprimanded for having bad ocs! Thanks a lot!

I am dead set on posting on THURSDAY! If you don't know why, check the beginning of my bio!

Coming up in chapter 7: Extra fluff and sap. This chapter is dedicated to Miroku/Sango fans! The second best InuYasha couple! PLEASE REVIEW!


	7. The Question Again

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! And here's my gift to you…a new chapter!

Thank you to sesshysgirl1213 and SparklingBlueAngel for deciding to help out with OPERATION: COME BACK! I will be sending out the first half of the list next weekend. Details and instructions will be in the e-mail. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

WARNING: This chapter contains a flashback from episode 132- Miroku's Most Dangerous Confession as well as somewhat of a lime. I think. (I'm not sure how far I can go before it becomes lemony/limey at all, can someone fill me in please!!))

NOTE: I WROTE OUT THE FLASHBACK WORD FOR WORD WHILE WATCHING THE SHOW, PAUSING AFTER EVERY SENTENCE TO COPY IT, THEN GOING BACK TO WRITE THEIR ACTIONS!! I AM OBSESSED! (Though I think you already knew that…)

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 7: The Question. Again

Miroku had been sitting by the fountain outside the mall for the past half-hour. It was nearing three o'clock and he was anxious to see Sango. Even though it had only been a few hours, to him it felt like a hundred years since he had last seen her beautiful face. Kami, how he missed her. He loved everything about her. He loved the way her hazel eyes sparkled when she laughed. He loved the way her chestnut tresses shone in the sunlight. Heck, he even loved the way her soft skin felt against his cheek when she smacked him. Sure he had flirted with other women but…wait a minute. Suddenly he felt as if a huge weight had been dropped on his chest. "What if she can't forgive me for all I've done?" Why was he getting so worked up? She had already said yes, remember?

* * *

"_Sango, I want you to hear my feelings. You don't need to say anything. Just please hear me out." The taijia turned slightly to face him. "You're not like the others, Sango. You're a very special woman to me. Somehow it's different with us. You see Sango, I've never had such strong feelings for a woman as I do for you. Except, there's one problem. I feel as if I cannot love you as an ordinary woman. You're my comrade, the woman I fight alongside."_

_Sango was on the verge of tears. "Oh, I know that. You didn't need to tell me. I knew how you felt. It's not as if, as if I hoped you would love me. I never thought that." she choked out. She rose to her feet ant took a few steps forward._

"_Sango?"_

"_We've said it all, right? I'm going."_

"_I'm just getting started. If this battle with Naraku ever comes to an end, and the curse of my wind tunnel is broken, if I make it out alive, if we made it that far would you come live with me? Would you bear my children Sango?" A single tear slid down the young girl's face, rippling the water of the crystalline lake below her. She fell to her knees, her legs buckling underneath her. "Sango?"_

_Raising her hands to cover her face, she sobbed for joy. "Yes."_

"_You'll have my children? Ten babies? Or maybe even twenty?"_

_She turned to face the man with whom she would spend the rest of her life, blushing furiously. He took her hand in his. "Yes. Miroku? Does this mean you'll stop womanizing?" _

"_Huh? Uh…he he." He looked away in embarrassment._

"_You will stop flirting, right?" She punched out each word with threatening force._

'_I'll take that as a no.' she thought to herself._

* * *

"But I never did stop my wondering hand. What if she changed her mind because of it? Or what if she completely forgot about the promise? I can't live without her." He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Alright. I need to keep my head. No good can come of my doubt and fear. I need to think about what IS happening and not what MIGHT happen."

Just then, he heard the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his entire life. It was a laugh. Her laugh.

"Um…Sango?"

* * *

'_Damn him! Why do I have to love him when he doesn't love me? Sure, he said he did, but he still flirts with other women. And there's the fact that he hasn't even mentioned the promise we made. I guess it just wasn't meant to be.'_ Sango sighed.

The five girls had finished their shopping spree and were sitting down to have lunch. Kagome looked over at Sango to ask her how she liked her pizza. However, she noticed her friend staring off into space with a forlorn expression on her face.

"Sango, what's wrong?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"Oh…nothing! I'm fine! Really!" She gave Kagome a weak smile to reassure her, but the miko was _not_ convinced.

"Come on, Sango! You know I know you better than that. It's just like you said. We're like sisters. I can tell when you're upset. Now what were you thinking about?"

"Miroku."

At this point, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi looked over at the two. Of course they were interested in Sango's love life.

"And?" Kagome prodded

"Well, I'm worried that he's forgotten about the promise we made to each other."

Kagome's face changed from a look of worry to that of understanding. "Don't worry Sango. You know Miroku's not like that. He may be a hentai, but he only has eyes for you." She put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri were thoroughly confused. "What are you two talking about? What promise?"

"Well, about six months ago, Miroku kinda, sorta, well…proposed to Sango. He asked her to live with him but there have been some…erm…complications. It's been a few days since the …distraction was dealt with, and-"

"And he hasn't said ANYTHING!" Sango interrupted. She was blushing fiercely and was on the verge of tears.

"It's alright Sango. We've only known Miroku for a day and he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would break a promise." Ayumi said

Eri added, "And besides, from what I saw earlier, if he does step out of line, you can definitely put him back in his place!" Sango had to giggle at this.

By this time they had just left the mall and were heading home. But as they passed the fountain…

"Um…Sango?"

* * *

Their eyes met and Sango's heart skipped a beat. Miroku hesitantly stood up and slowly walked over to her.

"Can I talk to you?" Sango nodded. Kagome and the others decided to back off and give them a little privacy.

Miroku led Sango back to the fountain and gestured for her to sit down. He sat down next to her and cupped one of her hands in his. His breath was shallow and his heart was pounding in his chest so hard that he could have sworn the whole world could hear it beating. His violet eyes locked with her hazel ones, and he spoke rather softly.

"Sango, do you remember when we said that we would stay together after we got rid of Naraku?"

For a second, she felt like her life was perfect, but in a flash it was gone and her stomach plummeted. _'What if he's breaking it off? Could he have changed his mind? Why is he so nervous? What if-'_

"Sango?"

"Um…yeah. I-I re-remember." she stuttered softly, trying to hold back the burning tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes.

Miroku hesitated. _'Why is she so upset? Did she not want me to remember? Does she not want to be with me anymore? Does she…hate me.? Well, there's only one way to find out.'_ "Have you changed your mind?" His voice began to shake with fear.

But since Sango was so wrapped up in her own misguided conclusions, she hadn't noticed. "N-no. Wh-why do you ask?" she stammered, finally breaking eye contact with him to stare at the ground.

A large wave of relief washed over the monk as he got down on one knee in front of her and pulled something small out of the pocket of his faded jeans. Sango was still oblivious to his actions, waiting for rejection.

By this time, the other four girls were finding it very painful to hide their excitement. They had to back away so they could giggle freely without disturbing the couple.

Sango felt his left hand grasp hers and looked down at him. When it finally registered in her mind what he was about to do, she gasped. Her tawny eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears…tears of joy.

Miroku gulped, his nervousness practically overwhelming him. "Sango, will you…will you ma-marry me?"

"…y-yes. Yes! Yes! YES!!" He slipped the ring on her finger. It had a large diamond in the center, with two brown topaz and two amethysts, one of each on either side. Sango dove at him, knocking them both to the ground. She was the one to land in his lap, blushing furiously.

The others thought it best to leave them be, so they began to walk off.

The two lovebirds stood up quickly. "Miroku, this _does_ mean that you will stop your perverted ways, _riiight_?"

"Of course! I will never touch or flirt with another woman ever again." He pulled her tightly to him and sealed the deal with a passionate kiss. He was mildly surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. He gently slid his tongue across her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She gave him permission without a second thought. However, his hands began to travel a _little_ too far south…

BAM!! Kagome and the others winced. "HENTAI! What did we just get through talking about?!" She was getting ticked off.

"B-but Sango. I said I would stop hitting on other women, and I will!" He smirked. "However, I _never_ said I would stop hitting on _you_!"

And with that, he pulled her into another passionate kiss. And again, she melted into it…

* * *

I think that this is my favorite chapter that I've posted so far!

Btw- In the ring…the topaz represents Sango's eyes, the amethyst are Miroku's! I thought that was a cute detail to add.

Please review and check my bio page for more info on OPERATION COME BACK!

Next time: Chapter 8- An OLD enemy reappears and wants revenge (NO IT IS NOT NARAKU!!)

I'm a little worried about this chapter…it's very…"out there" and unusual!


	8. Back to the Beginning

Yay! Hi everybody! Here's the next chapter. This is my first battle scene, so I'm a little nervous. Just to warn you, there are a few profanities in here, but nothing too bad.

OPERATION: COME BACK HAS BEEN CANCELLED! I was notified that I was angering other authors (though I can't figure out why…) so it's over. If you still want a list of some great K/K fics, in-progress or complete, I'll be happy to send you a list! Tell me what type of story you're looking for and I'll see what I can do!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 8: Back to the Beginning

The next morning was rather hectic for the five companions. They were all rushing around the house trying to gather their supplies for the journey back to the Sengoku Jidai. Everyone, that is, except for InuYasha. He was having fun watching Sango, Miroku, and Shippou run around like maniacs helping Kagome pack up her big yellow backpack.

"Feh. Hurry up, will ya?"

"You know InuYasha, it would go a lot quicker if you would help." Shippou scolded, earning him a death glare from said inu-hanyou.

"Hey! It's not _my_ fault we're running late."

And indeed it wasn't. As a matter of fact, Sango and Miroku were to blame. The couple had taken it upon themselves to take a stroll through the city and lost track of time.

"InuYasha, help us." Kagome ordered.

"NO!"

"SIT!"

BAM!

* * *

Finally, after much arguing, as well as a few more InuYasha face-plants, the group headed towards the bone-eaters well. The sun was clearly visible above the snow-capped mountains in the distance. As they entered the well house, the hanyou stopped short, causing the others to drop like dominoes behind him.

"InuYasha! What was that for?" Kagome hissed, standing up and rubbing her sore backside.

"I sense a demonic aura coming through from the other side. It seems vaguely familiar…"

"Is it Naraku?"

"No."

"Then let's go. We can deal with it when we get there." Kagome walked passed InuYasha and turned around to face her friends, leaning against the lip of the well.

At that very moment, InuYasha recognized the scent. His eyes grew wide and his ears flattened against his skull. "Oh shit! Kagome! Get away from there now!"

But it was too late. Before anyone had time to react, the miko felt three pairs of clammy hands grab her from behind and drag her through the well. The next thing she knew, Kagome fell flat on her back in the grassy clearing. She groaned weakly. "Oww. What the hell happened?" she mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her throbbing head. "I feel like I was dropped from a hundred feet in the air and landed on my head."

A voice spoke from high above her. "You defeated me the last time we met, but that won't happen again. That filthy half-breed isn't here to save you this time. Now give me the jewel"

Kagome's eyes grew wide with fear as she looked up into the gruesome face of Mistress Centipede. "What are you doing here? I don't understand. InuYasha killed you!"

"Ahh yes. But those foolish villagers threw my remains back into the well. The Shikon Jewel's presence has resurrected me once more. It's mine! Give it to me!"

"You're too late. The jewel has been purified and no longer exists." Kagome spat, a smug smirk on her face.

"Don't toy with me girl! I know you have it and I want it!" The demoness lunged at the girl, who was barely able to dodge it.

Without a moment to spare, Kagome got to her feet and raced into the forest. Branches and thorns tore at her clothes and sliced her arms and legs, but she paid them no mind. She just kept running. Before she realized in which direction she was running, Kagome found herself standing at the base of the Goshinboku. She spun around frantically searching for an alternate escape route, and came face to face with the giant bug demon. The poor miko backed up until her back was pressed up against the sacred tree; she was trapped. The youkai began to wind itself tightly around the tree trunk…and Kagome.

"Give me the jewel" she screeched.

"I…don't…have…it." Kagome choked out, finding it harder to breathe with each passing second.

"You lie!" The demon wrapped itself tighter around the girl. Kagome tried to break free, but her strength failed her. She was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. "K-kouga-a."

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

The youkai's grip slackened and Kagome fell to her knees, gasping for air.

"Well, well, well. It's been a while, hasn't it wench?" InuYasha laughed.

"Yes. And things will NOT end as they did before!" With that, Mistress Centipede slithered behind Kagome, grabbed her by the arms, and yanked her upright. She wrapped her long body around Kagome's legs so she had no way to escape. Kagome's strength had not yet returned from the previous attack, so she was unable to struggle. "Now, be a good little girl and hand over the jewel."

"What the hell are you goin' on about bitch? The jewel is gone!" InuYasha yelled.

"NOOO! I can sense it! I know!" Without warning, she dug her elongated fangs into Kagome's side. Kagome screamed in pain as the sacred jewel was ripped from her body once more. The Shikon No Tama landed a few inches away from Sango and Kagome's body was flung to the ground a few feet away.

"Kagome!" Sango and Shippou cried in unison. The taijia grabbed the jewel as the two of them rushed to the side of their fallen friend.

"Kagome! Kagome! Are you alright? Can you hear me?" But the girl was unconscious.

Sango turned to the kitsune and handed him the sacred jewel. "Shippou, you watch over Kagome." The little boy nodded, trying to hold his tears at bay. He clutched the jewel tightly in his small fist.

"You'll pay for that bitch! Hiraikotsu!" Sango's boomerang bone flew at the demoness, slicing her in half.

"I'll finish her off for good this time!" InuYasha drew his Tetsusaiga and took his battle stance. "Kaze No Kizu!" The blinding white light burned the demon's flesh away until there was nothing left but the skeleton.

"And now, so no one will be terrorized by this disgusting piece of filth again." Miroku stepped forward and aimed a sacred sutra at the skull. When the piece of holy paper came in contact with the remains, they disintegrated into nothingness.

"Well that takes care of her…again." InuYasha mused. Then he remembered. _'Kagome!'_ He rushed to her side.

Kagome was still unresponsive and she was losing a lot of blood. Fast. Her breathing was shallow and she was shivering slightly.

"We need to get her to Lady Kaede's hut quickly before she loses too much blood." Miroku stated.

"Right." InuYasha gently picked up Kagome's limp body bridal style and raced off towards the village, the others following on a fully transformed Kirara.

* * *

I know this chapter was a little weird, but if you haven't noticed already…I'm a weird person! I know it was short too, but I couldn't figure out what to do next!

I don't know if I'll be able to post next weekend. I have two midterms on Thursday so…yeah. But I'll try and I promise to post next week. Possibly twice…

Bye for now!.

Up next in chapter 9: Kagome has a dream…with an unexpected guest…Who is it? Find out next time.


	9. The Dream

HI! Yay another chapter! This isn't one of my favorites, but it is necessary. It explains what is going on with the Shikon jewel.

There is an awesome story that you NEED to read. It's called "Old Life, New Love" by Libby The Great. It's an awesome story with a cool plot. The story is a K/K AU fic, and it is fantastic. But you have to read it to find out more…

Anyway…

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 9: The Dream

Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, albeit slowly. She looked around only to find herself stranded on a soft, purple cloud. When she tried to stand, her legs gave out from under her and she fell to her knees, clutching her side.

"Wh-what h-happened? Where am I? The last thing I remember…Oh no! Mistress Centipede! The jewel!" She tried to stand again but failed. Pulling her legs in to her chest, Kagome rested her chin on her knees. "What am I going to do now?"

"Don't worry child. Everything will be fine." a woman's voice spoke from behind her. Kagome's head snapped up to see who was addressing her. She turned around to see a woman not much older than herself, her midnight blue, almost black hair flowing down to the small of her back. The woman was wearing full body armor and there was a soft pink light surrounding her.

"Who…are…you?" Kagome asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

The woman chuckled. "You don't recognize me? Surely you've seen a statue of my likeness near the demon exterminator village?"

Kagome's eyes grew wide. "M-midoriko?" The woman nodded. "But…why are you here? And where is here for that matter?" she asked.

"We are in your subconscious. I have urgent news to discuss with you. It concerns the Shikon No Tama."

"Yes, I was just about to ask you about that. Why was it back inside me again? Wasn't it destroyed? What do I do now? What if more demons come after it?-" Kagome rambled, not giving herself a chance to take a breath.

Midoriko chuckled again. "Calm down Kagome. I will explain everything. The Shikon No Tama can never truly be destroyed, as it is a part of my soul. And as my incarnation, it is a part of yours as well. You shall be the sole protector of the jewel until such time as your reincarnation is brought into this world. Then the jewel will be her responsibility. No other demons will be able to sense the sacred jewel." Kagome opened her mouth to interrupt, but Midoriko held up her hand to silence her. "Mistress Centipede was an exception due to your previous encounter with her. You see, your scent is altered by the jewel's presence. Since the jewel was released from your body in front of her before, she could tell the difference. Only those demons who **know** your scent will notice the change. The hanyou, kitsune, and fire-cat will be able to tell, as well as the wolf prince and his pack. That's it."

She rested a minute before finishing. "As for what to do now, that is completely up to you. The Shikon No Tama's power is yours to command as you see fit. However, if you do come across a problem, just call upon me. As your true incarnation, I will be with you always."

"Thank you Midoriko."

As Midoriko's figure faded into the distance, Kagome was engulfed in a bright blue light.

* * *

The group had been taking turns watching Kagome's motionless figure. The miko had been unconscious for a day and a half and her wound had been tended to. The Shikon No Tama lay beside her and Sango was guarding her.

"Oh, Kagome. Please wake up soon." she whispered. "Wh-what?"

The sacred jewel began glowing a faint pink and rose from it's place on the mat. "M-Miroku! InuYasha! Get in here! Hurry!"

InuYasha and Miroku burst into the hut, Shippou right on their heels.

"What's wro-" InuYasha didn't get a chance to finish his question. Four pairs of eyes were staring at the jewel, which was now hovering inches above Kagome's chest. Just then, Kagome's body was lifted off the ground and was jerked upright so it looked as if she was standing in midair. Suddenly, the jewel began to circle the girl's body, spinning faster and faster with each passing second. Without warning, the sacred jewel stopped in front of her and shoved itself back into her chest.

Kagome began to fall. But thankfully, InuYasha's quick reflexes allowed him to reach her before she hit the ground. He touched down on the floor of the hut and gently places Kagome back on the mat.

"What the hell just happened?" The hanyou turned to his friends for an answer, only to see their faces as blank and clueless as his.

Kagome groaned quietly. In a flash, the four of them were at her side.

"Kagome? Kagome, can you hear me?"

Kagome's eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked up at her friends who were all staring at her with concern. "H-hey guys." she said weakly, giving them a small smile. She sat up, wincing at the pain in her side.

"Kagome. You shouldn't be moving around just yet." Sango cooed, trying to get her mind off of the pain. "Let me dress your wound."

"Alright." Kagome lifted her shirt to just above her stomach, revealing the pink stained bandages.

As soon as Sango finished unwrapping the injury she gasped.

"What is it Sango?" Kagome asked, worried.

"The wound."

"Y-yeah?"

"It's gone!"

"HUH?"

Kagome looked at her side. And just as Sango said, there was nothing there. Not even a scar.

"B-but how?"

"Me."

'_Midoriko? You did this?'_

"Yes."

'_Thank you.'_

* * *

After twenty minutes of explanations, Kagome was out of breath and her friends were staring at her in shock.

"Wow!" Shippou exclaimed, jumping into Kagome's lap. Yep, that just about summed it up.

* * *

I know, I know. It was short and kinda corny. But hey, it explained a little, right?

Coming up in chapter 10: Reenter Kouga and enter…Kikyou!

See ya next time!


	10. Hell on Earth

I'm sooo sorry! I've been a bit preoccupied lately, so posting has been put on the back burner, and will be until around the middle of May. Even though school is winding down, I still have a midterm (how can you get 2 midterms in 1 class? It makes no sense), finals, a field trip, I'm trying to transfer schools, I'm working on about 10 other fics, plus I like to be a few written chapters ahead before I post, and so on…

I've just started chapter 17 for this fic, and I may be close to halfway done…yes it is long…

Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I can't believe I've gotten so many! I'm so glad you like my story!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 10: Hell on Earth

Two weeks after Kagome had completely recovered from the attack and regained her strength, she took a stroll through the forest, headed towards the Bone Eater's well. The young girl had finally snuck out from under Inuyasha's watchful eye. She had decided to use the jewel to allow passage through the well to only those she deemed worthy. So no more giant bugs for her.

Wishing on the Shikon jewel somewhat drained her physically, so she sat down on the nice cool grass, her back resting against the well wall. Leaning her head back, Kagome watched as the pale, billowing clouds floated above her, bright against the soft blue sky. The miko's eyes drifted closed as her mind wandered to the happenings of the past two weeks. During that span of time, there had been a lot of tension between herself and the hanyou. Even though he was watching over her, it seemed as though InuYasha had been trying to avoid her, trying to distance himself from her. He was watching her from afar. She didn't understand it…and she didn't like it. It was as if he was hiding something from her, but what?

'_What did I do wrong?'_

Her thoughts settled on a rather confusing conversation they had had a about a week and a half earlier. What had he been trying to tell her? She had no clue…

* * *

"_Kagome, can I talk to you?"_

"_Sure InuYasha."_

"_Um…alone"_

"_I-I guess so."_

_Kagome followed InuYasha out of the hut. They walked at a rather slow pace since Kagome was still a bit weak from the battle. Even though Midoriko had healed her wound, she was still in pain after being thrown around like a rag doll. They walked in an uncomfortable silence for a while, both deep in their own thoughts; InuYasha debating whether or not telling Kagome how he felt was the right thing to do, Kagome wondering what InuYasha wanted to discuss._

'_Well, whatever it is, it must be important. InuYasha has had me on strict bed rest since the fight. He wouldn't just bring me out here for no good reason.'_

_Kagome was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she nearly walked into InuYasha when he stopped abruptly, right in front of the Goshinboku. The hanyou turned to face her._

"_Um, Kagome?"_

"_Yes InuYasha?"_

"_Um, I, um…"_

"_What is it?"_

"_Kagome I…"_

"_What?!"_

"_Never mind."_

_Before Kagome could so much as blink, he was gone. 'What was that about? Well that was a waste of time. I'd better get back to the hut.'_

* * *

To say that InuYasha was angry would be an understatement. He was downright pissed. His plan had been to distance himself from the miko in order to stop himself from hurting her anymore than he already had. But he just couldn't leave her alone.

'_Damn it! This isn't working! I thought that if I stayed away from Kagome that my feelings for her would go away too. But now I just want her even more than before. What the hell am I supposed to do now?' _He spent the next hour brooding over his options, until the sun had set. _'Well, I guess I'd better head back before they all start questioning me.' _So InuYasha started on his way back to Kaede's hut, without any idea as to what to do next.

* * *

"Well, tomorrow's the day. I hope I can get Kagome to be my mate. She's so perfect…mmm perfect…" Kouga's mind began to wander towards some rather…perverted thoughts, but he quickly snapped back to reality as the stench of dog assaulted his nose. "That mutt has no business being around her. He has no right to even go anywhere near her. She's too good for him. Hell, she's too good for me. But I know I can treat her so much better than that insolent puppy could ever dream to! I love her more than he ever could!"

The wolf prince was relaxing on the largest branch of an old oak tree, his legs outstretched and crossed, his arms folded across his chest. He just sat there, thinking about what the following day would bring. The demon smirked to himself. He himself, of royal youkai lineage, heir to the throne of the Southern lands, was head over heals in love…with a human girl! And not just any girl, a miko! The miko that guarded the Shikon No Tama! What _was_ it about her that caused him to feel this way? Was it her beauty or her brilliant mind? Or how about the fact that she was the kindest, most pure-hearted, loving creature on the face of the earth? Her power? Strength? His smirk grew at the memory of when he learned how audacious that little spitfire could be! His cheek still slightly burned at the thought.

And with pleasant thoughts of Kagome swimming around in his head, he fell into a content sleep.

* * *

The group had just finished their supper and were settling down for the night. The faint glow from the dying embers of the campfire cast an eerie glow over the faces of the travelers. Shippou was sleeping soundly, curled up and snuggling close to his surrogate mother in her baby blue sleeping bag. Sango was resting in a light pink sleeping bag Kagome had given her, as Kirara lay nestled into her pillow. Miroku, per usual, was only a few feet away from his fiancée, leaning against the trunk of a large tree, his arms wrapped protectively around his shakujou.

InuYasha, however, was scanning the group, searching for any sign of suspicious movement. When he was sure that the rest of his companions were asleep, he silently dropped to the ground. Without even a second glance he was off. He had seen one of Kikyou's shindamachuu earlier that day and he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to break off the relationship once and for all. That way, he could spend his time making it up to Kagome instead of cheating on her. He was going to tell the clay pot to go to hell…without him.

Unbeknownst to him, someone else _was_ awake at the campsite. Kagome. She waited a few minutes before getting up, careful not to awaken her kitsune, and quietly followed the hanyou. She had also seen the glowing white serpent and knew where that sneaky dog was off to. Her miko powers, having been strengthened greatly by the presence of the Shikon jewel, guided her towards her incarnation, hoping against hope that he was not going there for the reasons her instincts were telling her.

* * *

As InuYasha walked into the clearing that held the sacred tree, he felt his breath hitch. "Kikyou. I need to speak with you." he said, his voice low and serious.

Kikyou, who had been admiring the scar caused by her arrow over fifty years ago, turned to face him. She was slightly taken aback by his tone and facial expression. It looked to her as if he was plotting against her, and that just wouldn't do. If she wanted everything to go according to plan, he would have to obey her. She had no choice but to reach for the love she knew he had for her. After murmuring something under her breath, she began walking towards him. With each step, a piece of his heart was stolen, until he belonged to her once more. Thoughts of Kagome flew from his mind and were replaced with those of the dead priestess that stood before him.

"InuYasha, my love. You have finally decided to come with me to the fiery pits of hell. The place where we can live together forever. But the plans have changed. I have found a way for us to remain here on earth for all eternity. Bring me my reincarnation, my sweet. That way, my soul may return to me and nothing can stand in our way, especially that girl."

"Of course, my love." said InuYasha, his voice rather robotic, his eyes glazed over with love, devotion, but most of all…lust.

As the two embraced, they fell to the ground in a deep and passionate kiss, their clothes scattered to the wind.

* * *

EWWWW! That last line almost made me sick! Hope you liked this chapter!

I NEED your help! I have hit a few road blocks in my stories! Check my bio please!

Up next: KOUGA AND KAGOME FLUFFY ROMANCE/HUMOR and…a sneak peek at my first OC (if you can even call it a sneak peek).

Until next time. Sayonara minna-san!


	11. It's Finally Clear

I'm BACK! Here's the next installment of LLF! It's my longest one so far! This is my favorite chapter yet, tons of fluff, sap, and humor! Thank you for all of your support!

One thing before I start. I do not have a problem with flames. Say what you will, I don't care. Call me a "Fanbrat" and a "Review whore" if you wish. But do NOT insult the reviewers! They have done nothing to you and do not deserve you bad-mouthing them! Thank you! (now let's drop this subject)

Oh, I posted a new one-shot. It's a K/K (surprise, surprise) so I think you'll like it…I hope so…

Oh, and don't forget! If you want to know some really good K/K fics, let me know! I'll hook you up!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 11: It's Finally Clear

Kagome was in shock. She did not cry, nor did she run away. She just turned around and walked off. The miko knew he didn't love her, and she could live with that. But she never imagined that he would, or could, ever betray her this way. _'How could he! He's willing to sacrifice MY life for that clay pot! I thought he at least cared about me! What about everything we've been through together? Did it all mean nothing to him? I guess I was always just the shard detector to him. Will there ever be a guy I can count on?'_ Then it dawned on her. Kouga! Her heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of him.

She sat down at the top of a mildly steep hill that overlooked a crystalline lake shimmering under the light of the full moon. Unshed tears began to sparkle in her chocolate brown eyes. "How could I have been so blind for so long? Kouga has always been there for me and treated me well. Like a princess for Kami's sake! He respects me, he compliments me, he stands up for me, _and_ he protects me. I've always felt safe and loved in his arms. Why didn't I see it before?"

It was then that Kagome felt a pair of eyes burning through her. She turned around to find none other than the wolf prince himself. He took a step closer. "Kagome, what's wrong?" he whispered, concern evident in his voice.

She smiled sweetly at him and patted the ground next to her, signaling for him to sit beside her. He did so, and repeated his question. She wiped away the few stray tears that fell from her eyes and stared down at her feet. "It's nothing Kouga. Really. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. So, how have you been?"

Kouga hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Kagome, don't change the subject and don't lie to me. It isn't nothing. If it was nothing, you wouldn't be out here alone and crying." He suddenly started snarling. "If that mutt did something to hurt you, I'll, I'll-"

"No Kouga. That's not the problem. Yes, InuYasha did something wrong, but that's not why I'm upset." She looked up to stare into his deep blue eyes that were filled with confusion. "He just opened my eyes and showed me what has been in front of me this whole time. Kouga, I'm…I'm just so…so…sorry." Tears began silently streaming down her porcelain cheeks once again. Kouga lifted his hand to cup her cheek and kissed away her tears.

"Kagome, what on earth makes you think that you need to apologize to me? You have never done anything to wrong me." he cooed. He was thoroughly bewildered by her outburst.

"Yes I have. I've wasted too much of your time."

Kouga gulped. _'She isn't a waste of time. She's worth all of the time in the world! Unless…unless she means that I was wasting my time chasing after her. Unless she doesn't want me…oh shit…'_

"Kouga, I'm just so sorry that it took me so long to realize that I…love you." she whispered, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Kouga was stunned. The woman, no HIS woman, whom he had been pining for, for so long, finally wanted him! He was ecstatic.

But just as Kagome shifted to snuggle closer to Kouga…she slipped and began sliding down the hillside! Kouga was barely able to grab her fingertips. As he moved to get a better grip, he also lost his footing…as well as his grasp on her hand. They both went speeding down the slick, dew covered grass.

Kagome shut her eyes tightly and held her breath, waiting for the impact. All of the sudden, her foot caught an uplifted tree root, causing her to flip onto her hand and knees into the ankle deep water. Dazed for a moment, she then turned around towards the shore and pushed her weight off of her hands. Just as she was about to get off of her knees, something heavy collided with her, knocking her off her knees and back onto her elbows. She looked up, only to be lost in a pair of sapphire blue orbs.

Kouga was on top of her in the same position she herself had been in moments before. They sat there, nose to nose, for the briefest moment, until Kouga closed the gap between them, claiming her lips with his. He wrapped his muscular arm around her waist, pulling them both into kneeling positions. What surprised Kouga, however, was not that she was kissing him back, though that did shock him a bit. The young miko had laced her fingers behind his head and pulled him close, causing him to gasp. This gave her the perfect opportunity to gently slide her tongue into his mouth, deepening the kiss even more.

They stayed like that, their tongues battling for dominance, for what seemed like an eternity, only parting, albeit reluctantly, to gasp for air.

Kouga rose to his feet, pulling Kagome up with him. Once they were on the grassy hilltop again the wolf demon shook himself dry, just as any canine would do after a bath, splashing the already soaked priestess. Kagome lifted her arms to shield her face, bursting into an incessant fit of giggles.

"K-kouga! St-stop it-t! Ha ha!" she laughed.

He looked up and couldn't help but smirk at the now dripping wet Kagome. He sauntered over to her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Kagome? Does this mean that you will be my mate?" She nodded. Kouga snaked his arms around her slender waist, picked her up off the ground, and twirled her around, laughing wildly. As he placed her back on the ground, the prince leaned in for another kiss, only to be stopped by Kagome's soft touch against his lips.

"But not just yet." He tilted his head to the side, making him look like a confused little pup. "If you mark me now, InuYasha will find out as soon as I get back to camp, and I don't want him to know yet. I want to get back at him for all he's done to me." she growled

Kouga smirked. "Revenge?"

"Yes. You know, I think you're beginning to rub off on me, Kouga."

"That's not a bad thing, is it?" he asked, feigning a hurt expression.

"No, not at all." she whispered, resting her head on his chest.

* * *

The redhead awoke to find his adopted mother nowhere in sight. He began to panic until he caught her scent on the wind and decided to follow it.

Soon he came upon a large hill glistening under the light of the full moon. At the top stood two silhouettes, a male and a female. Shippou recognized the woman as Kagome, but he wasn't sure about the man. Then he saw the stranger crush Kagome to him, laughing like a psychotic madman. Without a moment's hesitation, Shippou frantically raced up the hillside to help his surrogate mother fight off her attacker.

"Kagomeeee!"

Both Kouga and Kagome turned in the direction of the shrill voice just in time for the little kitsune to lunge into Kagome's arms with such force, that not only did she get the wind knocked out of her, but it caused her to stumble back a few steps into Kouga's rock hard chest.

"Shippou honey, what's the matter? Why aren't you asleep?"

"I woke up and you were gone! I got scared so I came to find you. Then I saw you get attacked…" The boy's voice trailed off, looking up at the smirking face of the wolf prince. "Oh, licorice sticks." he cursed, blushing from embarrassment.

Kouga chuckled, but Kagome's face paled slightly as a depressing thought crossed her mind. _'What about Shippou? I can't just leave him behind! He's like a son to me!'_

Kouga noticed the forlorn look in his love's beautiful brown orbs and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up into his eyes that shone like sapphires in the night. Eyes that bore into her very soul, silently asking her what was wrong.

Kagome thought that it would be best to keep Shippou out of the conversation for now. "Shippou, can you go play over by the water for a few minutes so I can talk to Kouga? And be careful."

"Okay."

Once the kitsune was out of earshot, Kouga spoke. "What's bothering you, my mate?"

A light blush coated her cheeks at the word mate. "Well, when I go to live in the den with you and the rest of the pack, what's going to happen to Shippou? I can't leave him. I've basically taken him in as my son."

Kouga smiled down at her warmly. "I don't see a problem. I'll just take him in as my cub as well."

Kagome looked at him in shock, which soon turned into pure joy. Without warning, she lunged at the wolf prince, nearly knocking him over, and pulled him into a soul searing kiss so passionate that it could have melted even the cold, icy heart of the Lord of the Western Lands himself. Once they broke apart for air, Kagome called for Shippou who bounded happily towards them.

"Honey, how would you feel about leaving InuYasha?"

A huge grin spread across the young kit's face. "Really? Can we? Pleeeaaase?" The little boy liked the idea of not having to worry about InuYasha punching him in the head day in and day out. "Where are we goin' Kagome?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Well, we're going to live at the wolf den with Kouga and his tribe." she explained.

Shippou's grin suddenly faded and was replaced by a look of complete horror.

Kouga's heart plummeted. Why was the kit so afraid? He had never done anything to hurt or scare the kid. Nothing he could remember anyway. The wolf demon crouched down so that he was at eye level with the kitsune. Fear was coming off of him in waves. "What's the matter?"

Shippou gulped. "Y-you're not g-gonna try to f-feed me to your w-wolves again, a-are you?" he asked, terrified.

Kouga blinked owlishly a few times, letting the boy's question sink in, before he burst out laughing, causing Shippou to tumble backwards. "Of course not." he chuckled, trying to regain his composure. "I can promise you that you will be accepted as a member of the pack. And as my son, I'll make sure you are treated with respect." His voice was confident and sure, not a hint of doubt was there.

The redhead's eyes widened with shock. "Y-your s-son?"

"Of course. Kagome has taken you in as her son. And since she has finally agreed to be my mate, it's only right that I do the same. Besides, I need a strong demon like you to help me run things." He stood to his full height once more and looked down at the kit. "That is, unless you'd rather not…"

Shippou's grin reappeared twice as big. "So, I've got a papa now?" Kouga smiled and nodded. Before he had a chance to blink, the wolf prince found the boy snuggling into his chest, giving him the tightest hug he could muster with such tiny arms. Kouga was slightly taken aback for a moment before returning the hug.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at the father and son. Once they were finished, Kagome's mind wandered back to her plan. "Kouga? Where are Ginta and Hakkaku? Are they nearby?"

"Yeah. They're in a cave a few miles from here. We've been using it as a shelter for the past two weeks." he replies.

"Two weeks? Why didn't you go back to the den?"

"Well, from here it would take a week to get there. So by the time we'd reach the den, we would have to come right back anyway,"

"Oh. Well can you take me there? We'll need their help to put my plan into action."

Kouga grinned. "Your wish is my command, love."

And with that, he picked up the miko bridal style, the kit nestled safely in her arms, and sped off.

However, none of them seemed to notice the pair of piercing silver eyes staring at the young priestess from the underbrush of the forest.

* * *

Yay! Another chapter complete! I really liked Shippou's little curse "Oh, licorice sticks." So adorable!

Oh, and keep and eye out. If any of you have read "Basio Lupus" by Lady Penguin, Libby the Great and I will most likely be adopting it in the future!

Next time: A small, fluffy filler chapter with Ginta and Hakkaku finally in the story!

Until then! Sayonara minna-san


	12. Seeing the Pack

Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! I'm sooo sorry for taking so long to update! My mom cut me off from FF 'cause of finals, and this is my longest chapter yet so it took me a while to type it up. Thank you so much for all of your patience and support! I was rereading my old reviews, and they almost brought me to tears! You guys are the best! Seriously. I am honored that you enjoy my story!

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Libby the Great for giving me my 100th review! YOU'RE THE GREATEST!

I've updated my bio to let you know what's going on with my stories and stuff…in case anyone cares. Oh, and I may be changing my PenName!

Well, I think I've made you wait long enough! GOMEN NASAI! Love ya!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 12: Seeing the Pack

In no time flat, they were standing at the mouth of the cave, listening to Kouga's companions snoring loudly in the back. Sighing, Kouga whispered, "Lazy bums. I really need to get them to straighten up." The prince took a deep breath and yelled. "Wake up you lot! We've got company!"

The poor, sleep deprived wolf demons were jolted awake by their leader's booming voice. As they were rubbing the sleep from their eyes, their noses were assaulted by the sweet scent of lilacs and vanilla. Ginta and Hakkaku's eyes flew open, huge grins appeared on their faces, and they howled with joy.

"Kagome!" they cried in unison.

Just as Kouga set her on her feet, he grabbed their cub from Kagome's arms and stepped back. She looked at him curiously for a moment before the breath was knocked out of her by two strong bear hugs.

"How are you?" Hakkaku asked.

"We've missed you!" added Ginta.

"Can't…breathe!" she barely managed to choke out. Ginta and Hakkaku released Kagome from their iron grips only for her to be knocked to the ground. She screamed out for help. Her only reply was three ookami youkai laughing at her expense. She felt about six or seven warm, wet tongues licking and tickling her. The poor girl was laughing so hard that tears began rolling down her cheeks. Finally, after a few more minutes of the "torture", Kagome heard a whistle from behind her and her attackers backed away slowly. The miko sat up to find a small pack of wolves sitting in front of her, barking and yipping happily as their tails wagged enthusiastically.

The others sat down next to her and waited so she could catch her breath. Once she had calmed down, she looked around and smiled at her pack. Yes _her_ pack. "I missed you guys too. It's so good to see you!" Kagome tried to suppress a yawn, but to no avail. "I'm sorry guys. I know I just got here and everything, but I've had somewhat of a…busy night," she said, glancing at Kouga, who smirked knowingly, "and I think I'd better get back to camp before InuYasha finds me gone. I hadn't realized that it had gotten this late. But I promise to visit again tomorrow!" she chirped, trying to cheer up the wolves' crestfallen faces.

Kouga took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Kagome, it is really late. You shouldn't travel this late at night, especially when you're so tired. Please, stay here with us tonight. I'll bring you back to your campsite first thing in the morning before mutt-face even notices you left."

Kagome contemplated her options for a moment. "Well, I guess I could…I mean it's not like InuYasha would care anyway. And by the way things looked before I left…InuYasha won't be back until morning…" she said, stifling a sob.

Kouga removed his hand from hers and wrapped it around her waist and gently pulled her closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "Kagome, what has he done to you?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Let's talk about it later." was all she said. The subject was dropped and the group just sat around a small fire pit and caught up. That is, until Kouga caught Kagome yawning again.

"I think it's time for bed, love." He lifted her up into his arms and carried her to a pile of furs. As he lay her down, he seated himself next to her. Shippou, who had been sitting on Kouga's shoulder, jumped down into his father's lap and curled up, immediately falling into a content sleep. The wolf prince looked down and smiled at his mate and son.

* * *

Kagome awoke the next morning feeling surprisingly warm and content. She snuggled further into her newfound source of heat, only to realize it was breathing. When she felt a large hand wrap around her slender form, she turned to lay on her back and looked to the side. Her eyes locked with a pair of sparkling sapphire orbs.

"Good morning love."

She smiled sweetly as a light blush tinted her cheeks. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Kouga grinned. "Never better."

Her blush deepened as she turned onto her side and faced him. "As much as I would love to stay like this with you for…well…the rest of my life…I think I should be getting back to camp." Her voice quivered as she tried to keep her tears at bay, thinking of seeing InuYasha after what she had seen the night before was more painful than she was willing to admit. Kouga pouted as well. He could tell that she was as disappointed about leaving as he was. Reluctantly, they rose from the bedding and Kagome picked up Shippou, who had somehow managed to curl up by her head at some point in the night.

Kouga walked over to his two comrades and grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks, waking them not so gently.

The group of four (and the sleeping kit) walked out of the cave and into a new day. The sun was just beginning to peek over the distant, snow-capped mountains, lighting the sky brilliant shades of pink and orange…and deep red. The crescent moon was still slightly visible in the western sky. As the wolf demons stepped forward to give Kagome a farewell hug, she held up her hand to stop them. They looked at her with confusion and hurt.

She noticed their expressions and smiled at them reassuringly. "I don't want to say goodbye just yet. Would you three _gentlemen_ mind walking me back to my camp?" she mocked, trying not to giggle.

The three wolves grinned.

"Of course, my lady." Kouga replied with just as much sarcasm. He made a low bow, the others following suit. Kagome burst out laughing. The prince took her hand and kissed it before leading her away, his two lieutenants following behind snickering.

* * *

Along the way, they passed the hill where Kouga had proposed to Kagome the night before. In the dull rays of the morning sun, the girl could now see that the hilltop was engulfed in purple and blue wildflowers and she smiled. Seeing that made the night before all the more magical and romantic in her eyes.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the campsite. As they wandered closer, they noticed that the monk, taijia, and two-tail were still fast asleep, and a certain hanyou was nowhere to be found.

Kagome stopped abruptly and turned around to face the youkai. "Can you guys go and wait for me at the Bone Eater's Well. I'll meet you there soon. I just have a few things to take care of. Then I'll explain everything." They agreed. She moved forward to give Kouga a quick peck on the cheek, but he wouldn't have it. Just as she began to back away, he wrapped his arms around her lithe body and pulled her tightly to him, smirking when he heard her "eep" in surprise.

"Ooh no. you're not getting away that easily." he whispered huskily as he pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss. After she broke the kiss (since Kouga would have continued until they became lightheaded from lack of oxygen), Ginta coughed uncomfortably, both he and Hakkaku red faced and eyes averted.

"Ahem, um Kagome? How is InuYasha not going to know we were here? Our scent is all over the place, including you and the kit."

"No problem. I can use my powers to mask your scents. That way InuYasha would never know."

"You can do that?"

"Of course. I'm not the guardian of the Shikon No Tama for nothing, ya know. I've been practicing with my miko abilities and the jewel practically doubles my powers. It's no big deal. So I'll see you guys soon, right?"

"All right, love. See you in a little while." Kouga kissed her lightly on the forehead before speeding off towards the well, leaving his underlings struggling to keep up…yet again.

As they faded into the distance, Kagome walked into the clearing that held their campsite. She tucked Shippou's sleeping form under the covers of her sleeping bag and got to work preparing breakfast. Soon the rest of the group awoke to the delicious smell of Kagome's cooking and began eating their meal. But to everyone's surprise (except Kagome's) InuYasha was still missing in action.

* * *

"DAMN IT! What happened? The last thing I remember is going to get rid of Kikyou, then I wake up naked! Why did I black out! What the hell did I do last night?" InuYasha ranted as he made his way back to the campsite. Upon his arrival, the rest of the group was finishing packing up their belongings.

Kagome finished stuffing the sleeping bag into her big, yellow knapsack and slung it over her shoulder. "Well, I'm going home! See ya in a few days!" She began walking towards Kaede's village.

InuYasha leapt in front of her and roughly grabbed her by the wrist. "Hey! Where do ya think you're goin'?" he growled.

Kagome glared at him and yanked her arm free. "I just told you. I'm going home." she said calmly. "Shippou, would you like to come with me?" she asked, turning to the kit. The boy grinned and nodded as he jumped up onto the miko's shoulder. "Okay. Now, if you'll excuse us, good day InuYasha."

But the hanyou didn't move. His temper began to flair up. His woman was leaving and he would not stand for it. "Ooh no you're not. You're not goin' anywhere. We just got back for Kami's sake!"

Now Kagome's temperament was beginning to rise as well. "Listen InuYasha, and listen good. I AM going home. It has been over two weeks, and it's not like there are a lot of demons around that we need to fight." she seethed. Then an idea struck her. "Besides, today is Ayumi's birthday and I promised her last time we were there that I would stop by." she lied. "Now InuYasha, move. And don't you dare try to follow me. If you do, I will S-I-T you into oblivion." And with that, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

However InuYasha, per usual, did not heed her warning. He hadn't even taken a few steps when Kagome's voice rang out…

"Sit boy!"

BAM!

* * *

As she made her way towards the clearing that held the Bone Eater's Well, Kagome saw three men in fur pelts, all of whom had huge grins plastered on their faces, waiting for her. She ran to the well as fast as her legs were willing to carry her and gave each of the demons a warm hug.

"So Kagome, what are we going to do now?" Hakkaku asked, thoroughly intrigued with the idea of exacting revenge on InuYasha for all of the "mangy wolf" and "flea-bitten mongrel" comments. After they had left Kagome with her group, Kouga had filled his comrades in on what they had missed the night before. Both were totally and completely jovial over the news of Kouga and Kagome's engagement. They had already considered her a member of the pack, but now it was practically official.

"Well, I wanted to take you guys to my time. I think that that would be the safest place to discuss the plan without InuYasha eavesdropping."

"But can't he travel through the well also? How can we be sure he won't follow us?" Ginta pointed out.

Kagome thought for a moment, tapping her index finger against her bottom lip. "I think I may have an idea…" The miko closed her eyes as her body began to glow a faint pink.

* * *

All she could see was black. She probed the dark recesses of her mind, searching. "Midoriko?" Suddenly, Kagome was once again situated on that purple cloud. The priestess appeared before her.

"Yes, my child?"

"I need your guidance. As I am sure you very well know, InuYasha has planned to kill me and return my soul to Kikyou."

"Aye."

"Well, would there be a way to use the jewel to make sure he won't be able to follow us? I know it would be a selfish wish, but-"

Midoriko put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "Kagome," she cooed, "as long as the wish is in the best interest of those who protect the jewel, there is no need to worry. In any case, it doesn't matter anymore." Kagome tilted her head in confusion, making the elder priestess laugh. "My, it looks to me like that wolf of yours is rubbing off on you."

Kagome lowered her head and blushed lightly. "Yeah, we kinda figured that out already…"

Midoriko laughed again. "Well I guess that means you're already adjusting to life with the wolf pack. Anyway, to put it simply, the jewel has it's own wish to grant. Do you know what that wish is?" The young miko shook her head. "It's for you to be happy."

Kagome was taken aback. "But why?"

"Because you have spent your entire life protecting the jewel, more so in the last few years if I am not mistaken. It's only fair that you get to enjoy life. And besides, after what you've been through, you deserve it."

"B-but I shattered the jewel in the first place!"

"True, but you have also risked your life many a time to repair it, did you not?" Kagome nodded. " Then all is forgiven."

"So, does this mean that I can use the power of the jewel for anything I want whenever I want?"

Midoriko sighed. "Not quite. You see, the jewel does have limits to its power. You can't use it to kill anyone, nor does it have the power to alter a person."

"What do you mean 'alter'?"

"Well, let me put it this way. The jewel cannot make a person change physically, spiritually, or otherwise. They have to do that on their own."

Kagome smiled. "I understand. So I can make it that InuYasha can't pass through the well, right?"

The woman frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry Kagome. But it isn't because of the Shikon No Tama that he can pass through, so it wouldn't affect him. But do not fret. **I** have made it so that the silver haired hanyou won't follow you."

"How?"

Midoriko smirked. "Let's just say he has taken that little threat of yours to heart."

The young girl grinned. "Thank you again for all of your help, Midoriko." And with that, the priestess disappeared.

* * *

The wolf demons stared at Kagome in awe. She was…glowing! But just as quickly as it began, it vanished again and Kagome opened her bright chocolate brown eyes, smiling. "Alright, let's go!" she chirped happily.

Ginta and Hakkaku turned and stared blankly at their leader, silently asking him what the hell had happened. Kouga just shrugged his shoulders. In all honesty, he had no clue himself. He walked over to his mate and gently grabbed her hand. "Darling, what's going on?"

She just smiled sweetly at him, though her eyes twinkled with mischief. "You'll see." she said playfully. "For now let's go back to my time."

And with that, Kagome, Shippou, and the three wolf youkai were engulfed in a bright blue light as rain began to drizzle over the lands.

* * *

I know it was corny, but I hope you liked it! Oh, about the rain…if you noticed, I said that the sky was red as they left the cave. There is an old saying:

"Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red in the morning, sailors take warning"

And with the limits to the Shikon jewel, I was watching Aladdin and it just popped into my head. It becomes more important later in the story. Let me know if you have any questions!

Next time: Chapter 13- Introducing 4 of my OCs and the wolves meet Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome's friends. Battles of love and lust. Ooh!

Sayonara!


	13. The Slut Sisters

Yay! A new chapter! And it took me less than 6 weeks to post it…hehehe…I would have updated sooner, but there were a few setbacks. My mom gave me her cold, so last night I went to bed a little before 11, got up a little before 6, and got possibly 3 ½ hours of sleep in all. Not to mention it's been in the 90s all week, with no air conditioning. Plus I had an appointment with my neurologist about a brain MRI- and everything is good! (yes, I am an epileptic…seizures and what not) And I got all As and Bs on my transcript.! YESSS!

I also added to my bio again, including a link to a really funny video (those of you whom I have contacted via e-mail may have already seen it…)

Any who, please don't bash me for my OCs, I'm new at this…and I would love advice! Enough ranting…

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 13: The Slut Sisters

The wind and rain lashed at his face as if it were punishing him for his evil intentions. Unfortunately, it was in vain, for his heart was as cold as ice to begin with, so he paid it no mind. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating his ethereal appearance. The droplets of water shimmered on his fair skin. His long, deep purple hair whipped around his face as he slowly crossed the clearing. His royal blue haori and hakamas billowed in the wind as his bushy gray tail stood straight to keep his balance. But the most stunning of his features were his eyes. Those silver depths could pry into the very soul of any creature as they sparked with his devilish desires. His name…

Dokubutsu

The group landed gently and soundlessly on the well's dirt floor. Jumping out, they were greeted by the morning sun streaming through gaps in the shrine's wooden roof. It never ceased to amaze Kagome that there could be the worst storm of the century on one side of the well, yet the other could be a balmy eighty degrees. She took a few steps towards the door and was about to open it when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned slightly to see Kouga smiling down at her. He stepped in front of her and slid the oak door open, gently guiding her out of the well-house with his hand upon the small of her back. A light blush tinted the miko's cheeks as she stepped out into the bright morning sunlight. However, she failed to notice the wolf prince look back and wink at his comrades, silently telling them 'now _that_ is how you get the girl'.

Kagome sighed. _'Kouga is such a gentleman. He treats me like a princess. Well, I shouldn't be surprised, he is a prince after all.'_

"So Kagome, you never did tell us why we're here."

Kagome spun around on her heel and grinned. "Well, since I'm going to be meeting your pack soon, it's only fair that you come and meet my family. Though, they aren't exactly what you would consider normal." And after she gave them a detailed report of what to expect from her eccentric family, Kouga glared at Ginta and Hakkaku and warned them to be on their best behavior or they would regret it later.

As they stepped into the foyer, Shippou, from prior experience, got as far away from his surrogate mother as possible, ending up on Ginta's head.

"Hi! I'm back!"

"Oh, welcome home sweetie! I'm in the kitchen." They followed the voice to find Mrs. Higurashi standing over a pot of boiling water. "Good, you're just in time for lunch. Oh my, who are your friends?"

"Well mom, those two are Ginta and Hakkaku," she stated, pointing to each one in turn, "and this is Kouga. He's my…um…intended…" she whispered as a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Intended?"

"Yeah, um…how can I put this. We're um…" Kagome stuttered, struggling to explain herself. It wasn't exactly normal conversation telling your mother that you are going to marry a wolf demon.

Thankfully, Kouga noticed her distress and stepped in. "Well ma'am, I guess the best way to put it…is that Kagome and I are engaged."

There was an awkward silence in the room that lasted what seemed like forever. That is, until out of the blue a scream erupted from the Higurashi household that practically shook the foundation.

"Oh Kami! I'm going to be a grandmother!"

"MOM!" Kagome screeched, the color of her face now rivaling that of a tomato. Kouga just wrapped an arm around her waist and grinned.

Mrs. Higurashi just shrugged it off. "Well, let's sit down and discuss this exciting news." During the meal, the group decided to go out after lunch so Kagome could show the wolf demons around town. Souta was sleeping over at a friend's house and wouldn't be returning until the following afternoon, while her grandfather was gone for the week trying to hone any spiritual powers he had, if he had any at all.

"So, Kouga. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself and your friends?" Sure the boy looked nice enough, but Mrs. Higurashi had to make sure he was up to her standards. She wasn't going to give her daughter away to just any boy.

Kouga smiled politely at the older woman. He needed to impress her if he wanted to be in her good graces. "Well, let's see…I am the leader if the eastern wolf demon tribes, and one of the heirs to the Southern Lands. Ginta and Hakkaku are my first and second lieutenants, as well as my best friends. I'm twenty-one years old. Both Ginta and Hakkaku are twenty."

"Wow. So you're a prince. With such a high stature, you could probably have any girl you desire. So why did you choose Kagome?"

"_Mama!"_

"I guess you could say I love everything about her. She's smart, brave, loyal, strong, and beautiful. She's just perfect." Kagome could feel the color returning to her cheeks as he kept going, lavishing her with compliment after compliment.

"What's your family like, Kouga?"

"Aside from my tribe, my father and mother are Lord and Lady of the Southern Lands. My older brother rules over the tribes of the north with his mate, while my elder sister rules in the west with her mate. My younger brother still lives at the southern palace with my parents. My family usually holds a family gathering once a month, just to see how things are going in the tribes, but we haven't had that may lately because of Naraku's attacks and all. So we haven't actually had a meeting in about eight or nine months, what with losing so many of the packmembers."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly. "Excuse me, but I'm going to go get ready." With that she stood up and walked out. A few moments later, there was a loud bang in the hallway.

Kouga rushed out of the dining area to see his fiancée leaning against the wall. "Kagome what happened.?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm alright…"

* * *

"Alright, let's go!" Kagome called. She was wearing a white tank top adorned with a winking pink strawberry, a red, knee-length peasant skirt, and white flip flops. Kouga wore the same outfit as before: a green short-sleeved t-shirt that read "My bite is worse than my bark", a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans, and Timberland work-boots, only this time, the sleeves were torn off. His hair was in a low ponytail to hide his ears. Hakkaku was wearing the same outfit Miroku had worn before: a fitted black short-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of tight, dark wash blue-jeans, and black sneakers. He also ripped off the sleeves and he was wearing a black sweatband to cover his ears. Ginta wore InuYasha's old outfit: a red, short-sleeved polo shirt, baggy black jeans, and white sneakers. He had ripped off the collar as well as the sleeves, and wore a black skull cap. And they were off.

Kagome was surprisingly patient with the curious wolf demons. After a few hours of sight seeing, they stopped at WacDonalds to get a bite to eat before heading back to the shrine. The guys waited at the table while Kagome ordered the food. But when she came back, there were a few uninvited guests at the table. The three most hated girls in school were paying way too much attention to the poor youkai.

The one who was bothering Hakkaku, known as Fu, had green eyes and pixie cut black hair with side swept bangs. She was wearing a yellow sports bra, a red micro mini skirt, and black flip-flops. Ginta's attacker, Shun, had blue eyes, bobbed bleach-blonde hair with side swept bangs, and wore the same outfit but a black top, yellow skirt, and red flip-flops. Their leader, Bai, was hitting on Kouga. She had brown eyes, shoulder length curly red hair with side swept bangs, a red sports bra, a black micro mini skirt, and yellow flip-flops. Their reputations had earned them the nickname the slut sisters.

Kagome stormed over to the table and slammed the food down, making everyone jump. The three girls looked at her in shock. The wolves on the other hand were staring at her, silently begging for help. Now normally, they would just pick the girls up and toss them across the room. But these were definitely not normal circumstances. This was not their time and they were not back at the den. This was Kagome's time, and they weren't going to do something that would get her in trouble. And by the looks of things, she wasn't going to need their help anyway.

"Oh, hello Higurashi. What do you want?" Bai asked, smirking maliciously.

"Leave. Now." the miko ground out.

"Hmm…I don't think so. But maybe you could introduce us to these sexy guys."

"Um…NO!" she snapped. Turning to Ginta and Hakkaku's captors, she growled, "Get away from my brothers." She took a menacing step forward, and smirked when the girls backed off. But when she rounded on the redhead, she nearly blew a gasket. That whore was dragging Kouga towards the exit, trying to make a stealthy escape. At this point, the wolf prince was just dumbfounded at the girl's ugliness, so he was of no use at the moment.

Kagome race over and grabbed Bai's wrist and ripped her away from Kouga. The girl cried out in pain and Kagome was in a rage. That girl had the gall to hit on her mate! Suffice it to say she was pissed. She threw the girl over towards her sisters causing them to tumble to the ground, knocking a table over in the process. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"

Unfortunately, Bai didn't know when to give up. "What does it matter to you? He's not your brother, is he?"

"No. He's my FIANCÉ!"

"FIANCÉ?" seven voices rang out from around the room, and Kagome winced. She was not expecting to hear those other four voices so soon.

Bai, Shun, and Fu scrambled out of the restaurant in a hurry to get away from the very pissed off priestess. She let out a deep sigh and turned to face the demons. "You guys okay?" They nodded. She walked towards them and they parted so she could look at the new visitors: Yuka, Eri, Ayumi, and Hojou. Surprisingly enough, Ayumi and Hojou were holding hands. "H-hey guys." she stammered. This was not exactly how she wanted to tell her friends that she was getting married! "What's up?"

Kouga let out a low warning growl when he sensed his mate's distress. This did not go unnoticed by Ginta and Hakkaku, who stepped forward, ready to protect their sister if need be. Kouga smirked when he saw Hojou take a step back.

"Oh, I just remembered. I promised my father that I'd pick up some medical supplies on the way home. See you later."

"Um, Hojou? Listen. I'm sorry about what happened at the park. I had just gotten into a huge fight with my…um…ex, and I was letting off some steam. Friends?" Kagome apologized, giving him a small smile.

Hojou returned the gesture. "Sure Higurashi. I was a little out of line myself. I guess I was a little shocked when I saw you with someone else when I have been asking you out for so long. I apologize. My best wishes to the both of you." Giving them all a polite bow, he walked out of the restaurant.

After he left, Kagome's three friends looked the wolves up and down warily. Yuka was the first to speak up. "Uh, Kagome, can we talk to you? In private?"

Before she could give them an answer, Eri ran forward, grabbed her wrist, and began dragging her towards the restroom. Kagome gave her mate a reassuring smile before following her friends.

* * *

In the ladies room, Eri and Yuka started scolding her for hanging around with those "punks".

"Why are you hanging out with them? They look like they're in a gang!"

"They're not!" Kagome defended.

"How do you know? The one with the Mohawk and the guy with the skull cap are bad enough, but your fiancé takes the cake! He has got to be a delinquent Kagome!"

"You guys don't even know anything about him!

Ayumi seemed to be the only one supportive of Kagome's choice. Perhaps it was her romantic nature. "I think he's sweet. He's very protective of you and it looks like he loves you a lot."

Kagome smiled at the girl. "Yup. And I love him too." She sighed and walked out of the bathroom. She trotted over to her companions. "Ready to go?"

"Is everything okay love? We heard you yelling."

"Everything is fine. Let's get outta here." She grabbed a take out bag, shoved the food in it, and they left. They went to the park and had a nice little picnic, though it didn't last long since the wolf demons practically inhaled the burgers and fries…

The group spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing. The started walking back to the shrine as the sun was just setting on the horizon, pale pink and purple lights littered the sky.

* * *

They got home rather late. Mrs. Higurashi had finished doing the dishes and was sitting in the living room watching a romantic movie.

"Mom, we need to talk." The older woman nodded and turned off the television set while they filed in and sat down on the couches. Kagome took a hold of Kouga's hand and took a deep, shaky breath. "Well, to get straight to the point, InuYasha has done something that I cannot forgive, and I'm sorry to say that he needs to be punished for his actions." Everyone just looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "Before I go on, you have to promise not to go ballistic and wait until I'm done talking. Okay?" When they agreed, she told them about the discussion she had overheard between InuYasha and Kikyou the night before. She went into detail, retelling it word for word. Telling them how InuYasha promised Kikyou that he would kill Kagome. She also explained that the hanyou and walking clay pot figured that since she was Kikyou's reincarnation, her soul would return to the older priestess' body, taking Kagome out of the picture.

By this time, the eyes of all three wolf demons had begun to bleed red. The only thing that stopped Kouga from jumping down the well and strangling the hanyou right then and there was Kagome's hand squeezing his. She always seemed to know how to calm down. She smiled up at him, grateful for his love and concern. "Don't worry about it, guys. They're wrong. I've spoken with Midoriko. Kikyou will not get my soul. We have the upper hand. Now, let's go to bed. We can finish in the morning."

Ginta and Hakkaku slept on the couches in the living room, while Shippou got his own bed in Souta's room. Kouga slept at Kagome's side, dreaming of ripping the hanyou limb from limb.

* * *

And thus ends the first notebook full of written chapters for LLF. I really hope that this made up for all the Kagome/Hojou OOCness back in chapter 5. I got a few complaints on that one. And I know Kagome was also a bit OOC in this chapter too, but wouldn't you be pissed if the school slut was hitting on your man?

Did I do a good job on my OCs? (And yes, Dokubutsu was the one at the end of chapter 11) I really hope you liked this one! Feel free to contact me with questions if you need to!

Next time: Chapter 14- Fluffy sap and humor galore! Enter Souta!! And many questions will be answered.

Until next time!


	14. The Right Way

Hello again everybody! Sorry it's been a while. I've been willingly taking summer college courses that have taken up a lot of my time. And I've been looking for a job too. So updates will be slower, but I will not abandon this fic, I can promise you that.

I now have a poll on my bio that I need help with. I will be deleting it on Sunday and posting a new one then. My bio has been revamped as well, including the status of each of my stories.

This is a sappy chapter, with a ton of humor towards the end.

Again, sorry for the wait, here you go…

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 14: The Right Way

The next morning, the group woke up refreshed and ready to go. They were heading back to the Sengoku Jidai later that evening and their schedule for the day was packed with things to do what with planning revenge on InuYasha and all. By the time they were done plotting, it was mid afternoon. Mrs. Higurashi had just returned from running errands when she asked her daughter to help her put the groceries away.

During that time, Kouga was pacing back and forth across the wooden living room floor, his mind a battle of joy and excitement. He had planned a surprise for his fiancée, and the prince couldn't wait to see her reaction.

After Kagome was done, she trudged slowly into the living room and dropped none too gracefully on the couch, exhaustion seeping into her very bones. Leaning her head against the back of the couch, she was almost pulled into a blissful dream when Kouga's voice interrupted the tranquil silence.

"Kagome, would you like to go for a walk with me?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh Kouga. I don't know…I'm awfully tired…"

"Please Kagome? This is my last day here. I thought we could just take a nice leisurely stroll in the park and get some fresh air. We've been cooped up in here all day."

Kagome drew out a long sigh as she looked into Kouga's pleading blue eyes. How could she ever say no to him? "I guess that sounds like a good idea…oh, alright, I'll go change…"

As the twosome walked out the door, Kagome failed to notice the foolish grins plastered on the faces of Ginta and Hakkaku. Nor did she catch Kouga as he quickly slipped something into the side pocket of his new cargo shorts.

* * *

The couple wandered around the park for what seemed like hours, talking and laughing, but mostly reminiscing about memories of all of the wolf prince's visits over the years, discussing how foolish and childish InuYasha had acted on multiple occasions, and laughing at how humorous it was when Kagome would practically sit him into oblivion.

Eventually though, they ended up in the middle of the park. Little did Kagome know that this was all a part of Kouga's master plan. Intertwining his fingers with hers, he lead his soon-to-be mate over to a very familiar bench…

* * *

_She found herself in the middle of the park. How she got there, she wasn't sure. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Then she just started sobbing into her hands. She felt a presence and looked up into a pair of sapphire blue eyes. Eyes full of concern and love. Love for her._

"_Please don't cry, Kagome. He doesn't deserve your tears." Kouga whispered as he picked her up bridal style. He walked over to the closest park bench and set her down, sitting down next to her. Not once did either of them break eye contact. Tears were still silently streaming down Kagome's face. Kouga cupped her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs._

"_Kouga, what are you still doing here? I thought you went home."_

_He smiled down at her warmly. "Just as I was about to jump into the well, I heard you yelling and I got worried. I hid behind a tree and heard the argument between you and dog breath. When you left, I followed you to make sure you didn't get hurt."_

_She smiled back up at him shyly. As she took a closer look at him something changed. Her stomach filled with butterflies and her heart skipped a beat. He looked…different. He was much more handsome than she last remembered. His tan skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. His long dark hair that cascaded down his muscular back was blowing gently in the breeze. Her eyes fell back to his and she held her breath. His eyes outshined the brightest stars. She lost herself in them for what seemed like forever. She felt like she had when she had first been alone with InuYasha. No. This feeling was stronger than that. Stronger that anything she had ever felt towards the inu-hanyou. She felt safe. She felt…loved._

* * *

She sat down while Kouga remained standing. The miko looked up at him curiously as he pointed above them and she focused on what was above her, gasping lightly. It was the same tree he had leapt into when he had kidnapped her two weeks prior.

* * *

"_Kagome?" His voice was no longer desperate, but was filled with concern, hope, and understanding. She looked down at him, her beautiful eyes full of confusion. "I just want you to understand. The only reason I was so aggressive and, well, stubborn, was because I was trying to impress you. Ookami youkai are judged by their power and strength. I was trying to prove to you that I was worthy of you and to show you how much I care about you." He stood up and walked over to her until he was directly in front of her. The poor girl was still speechless. He took her hands in his, just as he always did. But something was different. He held her gently, as if she was as fragile as a porcelain doll. "Kagome, I love you and I always will. That will never change. I will love you until the day I die. I won't ever give up hope that you will some day love me as I love you and you will agree to be my mate." He gave her one of his infamous cocky grins. "I will still check in to make sure you are safe and well, of course. But I will never pressure you into coming with me."_

_He picked a cherry blossom from a branch above him and placed it in Kagome's hair above her left ear._

* * *

Again the wolf demon jumped into the high branches of the cherry tree, picked a delicate blossom, and gently dropped back to the ground. Handing Kagome the flower, he sat down next to her and took her free hand in his. She brought the blossom up to her nose, inhaling slowly and deeply.

"I love you Kouga." she whispered

"I love you too Kagome." he replied, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"What's going to happen next?"

"What do you mean love?"

Kagome hesitated. "Well…I'm a little worried about the plan. What if InuYasha does something…drastic? And how will Sango and Miroku take the news? Then there's the rest of your pack. Let's not forget my last 'visit' to the den. Or did you forget that I was almost wolf chow? I just don't think they'll take too kindly to the idea of having a human priestess as their alpha female-"

Kouga gently squeezed her lithe form. "Calm down Kagome. Everything will be fine sweetheart. If that mutt even tries to lay a finger on you, I'll kill him. And I can promise you that my pack has already accepted you. Every time we go home, all Ginta and Hakkaku do is brag about how amazing you are and how they wish you would agree to be my mate already."

Kagome blushed, but it was quickly replaced with a devilish smirk. "Oh really? And you don't?"

A light blush coated the wolf's tanned cheeks as he stammered, "Well…ma-maybe a little…" She giggled when Kouga gave her an audacious grin. "But can you blame me?" His cocky attitude quickly vanished however, and in it's place was a very solemn expression. He sighed. "Kagome, we need to talk." The miko looked up at him and gasped. Never had she seen him so serious before. His brows were knitted together in a way that oddly mimicked Miroku when he had been deep in thought, staring unwaveringly at his wind tunnel before it had vanished. Or Sango as her mind wandered to her brother and what Naraku had done to him, or worse…what he could have done. Kouga's expression held no mirth or joy which greatly confused Kagome, for only moments ago had he not been simply jovial planning their future together? That sudden change was a little unnerving.

The wolf prince smirked to himself. She looked so cute when she was nervous. He decided to play it out and see what her reaction would be. "Well…I know I told you that I wanted you to be my mate. And you agreed, correct?" She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "And, well…wolves mate for life. So…" Kagome's eyes widened and Kouga suppressed a chuckle. "So…I wanted to ask you properly."

The young girl just stared at him blankly for a moment, taken aback by the sudden comment. "Wh-what?"

The Ookami youkai got down on one knee in front of her and smiled. "Kagome, will you marry me?"

Tears of joy filled Kagome's eyes and threatened to flow down her cheeks before she wiped them away with the back of her hand. She gazed at him lovingly before nodding enthusiastically, her voice lost to her emotions.

"Close your eyes." She did as he asked, and suddenly she felt something cold on her throat.

Kouga had pulled a small, thin, black velvet box from his pocket. Removing the contents, he set the box aside and clasped the gift around Kagome's neck. It was a beautiful, thin herringbone choker made of white gold. In the center hung a gorgeous emerald-cut sapphire. The miko's eyes shot open and she quickly pulled a mirror out of her purse. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the necklace resting there.

"Kouga! It's-it's beautiful! But how?"

"Well…"

* * *

_Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her soon-to-be son-in-law while Kagome left to change. "So, Kouga. Are you two planning on having a wedding?"_

_Kouga thought about it for a moment before answering. "I haven't thought about it really. To be honest, I don't know much about human ceremonies. But if it's something that Kagome would want, then I would like to have one."_

_The older woman looked at him in surprise before grinning. "You know, I can help you out if you want. And I know my daughter will love it."_

_Kouga smiled back at her. He was beginning to like this woman already._

_So Kagome's mother went into detail about how the ceremony would progress. She talked about the wedding procession, the priest, and the vows. But what really caught his attention was when she mentioned that it would be Kagome's grandfather who would walk her down the isle._

"_Excuse me, but I always heard that it was the bride's father who did that. Come to think of it, I've never heard Kagome mention her father at all."_

"_Well, he's not exactly around much…"_

_Kouga was surprised. "What do you mean?" Surely he didn't abandon his family? That would be unforgivable. The wolf frowned at the thought._

_It was as if she read his mind. "No, he didn't leave us. He just travels a lot. You see, my husband is the Japanese ambassador, so he works overseas for weeks at a time and we don't get to see him that often… Anyway, let's get back to the wedding…"_

* * *

"…And so when we went out yesterday, I picked out this necklace while you were in another store. Your mother bought it this morning while she was running her errands."

Kagome's eyes began to tear up in gratitude. He was doing all of this for her. _For her._ She fell to her knees and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Kouga. I love you."

He returned the hug, burying his face in her ebony locks. Smiling into her hair, he wrapped his arms around her lithe figure and gave a muffled reply, "Anything for you my princess. I love you more than you will ever know."

* * *

InuYasha had been on pins and needles all day. Kagome was supposed to return in two hours and he was a wreck. He had spent the past two days trying to think of a way to apologize for the argument they'd had prior to her departure. Determined to stay away from the well (thanks to Midoriko's handiwork) for fear of being "sat" within an inch of his life, he ran himself ragged trying to find something to do. Searching every inch of his forest, the hanyou had slain every demon in the woods within hours.

When there were no more youkai to battle, the inu demon, on a whim, went on a hunt to search for and kill the wolf prince who dared try to take his miko away from him. However, he found Kouga gone upon his arrival at the den, but he only shrugged it off. If he was lucky, that bastard was either off in the mountains mating with Ayame, or, more towards his preference, dead.

Too bad for him, he was wrong on both counts.

Back in the village, Sango and Miroku were inside Kaede's hut, working on preparations for their wedding. The monk's face was completely pink with a white handprint on his cheek. Poor Miroku had gotten so excited about the upcoming ceremony, he had gotten completely drunk and tried to have an early wedding night…and to get Sango into a wedding kimono shorter than Kagome's school uniform skirt…

* * *

By the time Kouga and Kagome had reached the shrine, the sun had just about set. They had decided to grab Kagome's giant yellow pack (having been filled the night before), grab the other two wolf demons and the kit, and jump down the well. But as they reached the front door of Kagome's house, they got a big surprise. Or rather…two big surprises.

Kouga and Kagome were knocked over by the other two people, sending all four crashing to the ground. This left both the miko and the wolf prince in a very…intimate position. Kouga was laying atop Kagome, their lips mere inches away from each other. Just as the wolf youkai was about to capture his love's lips in a tender kiss, a loud, earsplitting battle cry rang out from the foyer, sending Kouga soaring ten feet into the air. He landed on his butt a few feet away, howling in pain as he landed on his own tail.

Souta burst through the doorway, holding a giant water gun so large it was a miracle he could lift it at all. The engaged couple looked from the young boy, over to the two soaking wet wolf demons sprawled out on the other side of the lawn, and back again.

By this time Souta had his water gun aimed at Kouga as he threateningly said, "Get away from my sister!"

Standing up, the two of them just gawked at the youngest Higurashi, stunned.

Before anyone could blink, a small cyclone was making a beeline straight for Souta. In a flash, Kouga was standing behind him, the so called "weapon" in his hands.

The boy looked up at him in stunned silence, his eyes wide and mouth agape.

Kagome called over to her wolf prince. "Kouga, can you take Souta inside and wait in the living room? I'll be in in a minute." With that she walked over towards Ginta and Hakkaku in order to help them up. They kept slipping on the now muddy grass, falling on their butts.

"Sure thing, Love!" He grabbed the kid by the back of his shirt and lifted him off the ground; the boy's arms and legs hanging limply at his sides, eyes still locked on Kouga in shock.

As Kagome, Ginta, and Hakkaku reached the family room, they heard Kouga yelp in agony…again. Souta had awakened from his stupor when the wolf demon dropped him on the couch. When Kouga had turned his back, the young boy got up, grasped the swaying tail and yanked on it, checking to see if it was real. Kagome rushed forward and gently pried Kouga's tail free. She giggled when he let out a low growl of pleasure as she ran her fingers through the soft fur.

Kagome and Kouga plopped down on the sofa, Souta on the floor. Mrs. Higurashi led Ginta and Hakkaku upstairs to grab some towels from the bathroom and dry off while Shippo upstairs drawing. "Hey, sis. Who is this? And where's InuYasha?" Kagome stiffened at the hanyou's name, and Kouga's fur bristled as he let out a low snarl.

She regained her composure and smiled at her brother. "Souta, this is Kouga. He's--"

Souta cut her off. "Is this the guy you keep saying is a "hot sexy demon who keeps hitting on me?" he quoted in a high-pitched girly voice to resemble his sister's. Kagome blushed a bright red while Kouga smirked. "Y-yeah. Th-this is him. So, how would you feel about having a big brother?"

Souta's jaw dropped and he pointed at the wolf prince in disbelief. The couple nodded.

For the rest of the night, even after the group left, Souta was jumping around with excitement. Well, if InuYasha couldn't be his big brother, then he supposed a full demon, a full WOLF demon, was a great second choice. Perhaps Kouga could teach him how to run that fast?

* * *

"So, a hot, sexy demon, huh?" Her blush returned at double the force and they all laughed and jumped down the magical well.

* * *

So, was it worth the wait? Just to clarify, Kagome's family is filthy rich. I did my homework, and an ambassador makes about 150K a year! That's how her mother could afford the necklace and Miroku's engagement ring. The only reason why they live in the shrine is because Kagome's grandfather is sentimentally attached to it and refuses to leave. And since Mr. Higurashi was never mentioned in the anime, I just improvised. Was it a good idea?

Don't expect another update too soon, I have a ton of schoolwork to do, and once summer classes end, I have maybe a week or two before the fall semester starts. Plus I have my other fics, a novel, and I'm betaing other fics. Not to mention hunting for a job and some down time with friends and family. But I'll do my best, okay?

Wish me luck!

Up next: The plan is set and the truth is revealed.


	15. Kagome's Plan In Action

Hi minna-san! Sorry for the wait. Things have been really hectic around here. New job, yard sale, getting ready to go back to school, and other fics. So, in light of these developments, I'm taking a break from this story for a little while. But only a month or two- no writing at all. I know where I want to go with this story, but I just can't seem to word it correctly. I'm going to focus on my other fics for a bit. But don't worry! I'll be back before you know it! XP

And I really NEED your help! There's a new poll on my bio page that I need you to answer. I'm taking it off at the end of the week, K?

I also want to apologize in advance for this chapter. I know that I built up Kagome's plan a lot. Now that I'm looking at it, it doesn't seem as diabolical as I first thought- Sorry! But a huge thank you to Miss Felly for the confidence boost though! I really appreciate it!

I've also upped the rating for later chapters. There will NOT be a lemon, but there will be adult content.

And forward, MARCH!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear, such as Dokubutsu.

* * *

Chappie 15: Kagome's Plan In Action

Poor Shippou was exhausted. While his "mother" and "father" were out on the town, the kit had snuck into Kagome's oversized knapsack and practically inhaled every last sweet morsel of candy that lain inside. Now the child had an unimaginably large stomachache. Not to mention the sugar rush had finally worn off and the kitsune crashed, leaving him to sleep helplessly in the priestess' warm embrace.

"Oh, Shippou…" Kagome scolded lightly.

Kouga smiled warmly as he gently ruffled his son's hair, grinning when he saw the boy smile in his sleep and snuggle deeper into Kagome's arms. "Let's just hope he learned his lesson and won't do that again."

"Let's." she agreed, smiling up at her love. The wolf prince gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before bidding her sweet dreams. They had all agreed to put their plan into action early the following afternoon.

So Kagome and a soundly sleeping Shippou headed towards Kaede's hut. When they arrived, Miroku and Sango had just finished preparing supper while the hanyou leaned against one of the hut walls, glaring at the miko as she walked into the room.

"Oi! Where the hell have you been Kagome? You were supposed to be back here an hour ago! Stupid wench, we're always waiting on you."

"Well ex_cuse_ me! I'm sorry that MY life doesn't revolve around YOU!" She turned on her heel to face the monk and taijia, both looking at her with sympathetic eyes. She just smiled at them sweetly. "I'm off to bed. It's been a long day and I'm really tired."

Sango looked at her worriedly. "Aren't you going to eat something, Kagome?"

"Nah, I'm not very hungry…" That was an understatement. Her stomach was tied in so many knots that she was sure it couldn't handle food. "Hey Sango? Would you like to join me for a dip in the hot springs tomorrow before we leave?" she asked innocently. The group was returning to the demon slayer village the following day in order to prepare for Miroku and Sango's wedding.

"Sure. That sounds nice."

As the miko laid down for the night, her face illuminated by the glow of the firelight and the kit snoring lightly beside her, she peeked in the direction of the perverted monk. She was pleased to see a wide, lecherous grin plastered on his face.

Good. Everything was going exactly according to plan.

* * *

The next morning, the two girls headed out to bathe, Miroku sneaking away not far behind. On the way, Sango saw the sapphire choker hanging around Kagome's neck. "Oh Kagome! That necklace is beautiful! Where on earth did you get it?"

Kagome raised her hand and gently grasped the blue gem between her fingers. "It was a gift." was all she said.

When they reached the hot springs, Sango noticed that her friend was looking around. Her eyes were scanning the area as if she was expecting someone.

"Kagome?"

Just then, there was a yelp of surprise as the bushes rustled behind them. Sango's body quickly tensed, ready to attack. Kagome, on the other hand, just turned around and feigned and annoyed expression.

"Kouga…" she scolded playfully as she took an "intimidating" stance, resting her fisted hands on her hips and pouted angrily. "You were supposed to get his attention, not give him a heart attack!"

Kouga stepped out from behind the brush, dragging a stunned monk behind him by the robes. He frowned. "I did get his attention. Besides, I still don't like the idea of him watching you bathe." Dropping Miroku on the grass, he sauntered up to the priestess, a wickedly perverted smirk adorning his lips. "Only I'm allowed to do that…" he whispered seductively, causing Kagome to turn bright red.

Sango cleared her throat rather loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. "Uh, Kagome? Would you mind explaining what the heck is going on here?"

So Kagome relayed the tale once more as her friends listened intently to every word. As the story became more difficult to tell, Kouga squeezed her hand reassuringly, giving her the strength to continue.

By the time she was finished, it was taking just about all of Miroku's strength to restrain his fiancée from beating the inu-hanyou to death with her hiraikotsu. "Damn that no-good, flea-bitten mongrel! Let me GO Miroku! I'm gonna go teach that bastard a lesson!"

"Sango! Calm down! If we can follow through with the plan, he'll suffer a lot longer than if you just go down there and kill him. Physical pain fades away over time, but emotional pain can last a lifetime." Kagome explained.

The demon slayer sighed in aggravation and reluctantly stopped struggling in Miroku's arms. "I guess you're right Kagome. I just can't believe he would do this to you. Well, we'd better get back to camp before InuYasha starts getting suspicious."

"Alright. See you later Kouga." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before running off to catch up with her friends.

* * *

"By the way Miroku, why were you following us in the first place? Were you going to spy on us while we were bathing?"

"Well…I…umm…hehehe…"

BAM!

And Sango ended up dragging an un unconscious monk back to camp.

* * *

About three hours later, as they were traveling towards the village, an argument exploded between Kagome and InuYasha. Kagome was begging to take a rest, but InuYasha wouldn't even hear about it…just as she predicted.

"NO! If we always stop when you're tired, we'll never get anywhere. We keep going!"

"InuYasha! I'm exhausted and my feet are killing me. We need a break!"

"NO! WE ARE NOT ST-"

"Sister!"

"Kagome nee-san!"

Ginta and Hakkaku ran up behind InuYasha and right up to Kagome.

"Hey guys!" the miko chirped happily, giving each of them a warm hug. "Where's Kouga?"

As if _on cue, _a small whirlwind broke through the line of trees behind them and flew up to Kagome. It skidded to a stop behind her as Kouga jumped out and wrapped one arm around the miko's slim waist, hiding the other behind his back. "Looking for me?"

The young girl giggled. "As a matter of fact, we were just talking about you."

The inu-hanyou was fuming. "Hey! Get your filthy paws offa her ya scrawny wolf! NOW!" he growled. But they just ignored him.

"Hey Kagome, I got ya something'" She looked up at the wolf prince in pure confusion. What was he up to? He pulled his hand from behind his back and presented Kagome with a dozen blue and purple wildflowers- the same flowers that were in the field where she first agreed to be his mate.

She gently pulled out of his embrace and turned to face him. "Kouga! This wasn't part of the plan!" she whispered, making sure InuYasha couldn't hear them.

"Well, I just thought I'd improvise."

Kagome smiled up at him sweetly before putting on an act of surprise. "Oh Kouga! They're gorgeous!"

Kouga shrugged. "I guess. But they only pale in comparison to your beauty." He smirked proudly when he saw he blush a pretty cherry red. "Kagome, would you do me the honor of becoming my mate?"

"WHAT THE HELL? SHE WILL NOT!" InuYasha burst out. There was no way in the seven hells he was going to let that mangy mongrel take his Kagome away from him. No way.

"InuYasha. Sit." she said calmly. The rest of the group winced as the hanyou's face made contact with the ground. "You do NOT make decisions for me InuYasha. We already had this discussion. I am a big girl and I can take care of myself, thank you very much."

InuYasha slowly and painfully lifted his head and spit some dirt out of his mouth. "WHY YOU L-" But his anger suddenly vanished and was replaced with a look of pure horror at the sight before him.

There stood Kagome, back in Kouga's warm embrace. Her small, delicate hands were wrapped around the back of his neck as they played with a few strands of his jet-black hair. And that smile. She was smiling _that _smile, the one that she had always given _him_, the one that belonged to him and him alone. Yet that was the smile she was giving that overgrown, flea-infested fur-ball!

"Yes Kouga. I'll be your mate."

As she leaned forward to press her lips against the wolf youkai's, InuYasha raced in and ripped her from the demon's grasp. He spun her around to face him, his claws digging into her upper arms. She winced slightly from the pain, but quickly regained her composure. She would not show any weaknesses in front of him. Not anymore.

The hanyou's eyes began bleeding red and his breathing became harsh and uneven. "No. You. Will. Not." he rasped, his grip tightening.

Kagome's chocolate brown orbs never left his now deep red ones, nor did they show a hint of fear. Her voice was calm and even, void of any emotions. "Let me go, InuYasha."

For some reason, hearing her voice in such a state snapped him out of his demonic rage and his eyes returned to their original molten gold. His grasp on her loosened, but he refused to let go. "No Kagome. You can't be his mate. You just can't."

"And why not?" she scoffed. "It's not as if you love me. Or ever did for that matter..."

Her words tore at his heart. Of course he loved her. How could he not? She was everything to him. She was his light, his world…his other half. He quickly pulled her into a tender hug. " I **do** love you Kagome! More than anything. I'm so sorry that I didn't realize it until Kikyou was out of the picture."

Kagome was stunned for a moment. She hadn't really expected him to be so forward and blunt about the whole situation. Finally, his words sunk in and her brows knitted together in fury. How could he say that? How could he **lie** to her like that? After what she had seen that night, she was shocked that he could ever say such a thing.

She lifted her hands to his chest and shoved him away. Hard. He stumbled back a bit, but quickly regained his balance. She slowly began walking back to Kouga, never breaking eye contact with the inu-hanyou.

"How dare you." She spoke barely above a whisper, yet it was loud enough for all to hear. Her voice was like ice; so cold that it literally sent a shiver down InuYasha's spine. "How _dare_ you. You tell me that you _love_ me after everything you've put me through. All of the pain and heartache I've been in for the past four years. And I don't know how many times I've been tossed aside so you can go see your precious Kikyou!" Kagome was now on the verge of tears. Kouga gently wrapped his muscular arms around her lithe waist, pulling her close.

Sango had finally reached her breaking point. "InuYasha! How can you say that? How is Kikyou out of the picture? You were just with her the other night! Explain that!"

"What the hell? What are you talking about? I haven't seen Kikyou in months!"

"Don't lie mutt! You were with that clay figurine three days ago!" Kouga barked. No one called his Kagome a liar.

"I was not!"

"I saw you InuYasha!" Kagome choked, forcing her tears back. "I saw you making love to Kikyou! You told her that you'd kill me to get her soul back!"

InuYasha froze. "No…no! I would NEVER do that! I don't want Kikyou! I love you!"

"Stop denying it! Please…I can't put up with it anymore. You were with her three days ago!"

InuYasha went silent. _'That can't be true! I wasn't with Kikyou…three…days…ago…Hold on!'_ InuYasha snapped out of his thoughts in time to see Kagome turn into Kouga's embrace as she wrapped her own arms around his waist.

"Wait a minute! That was the night I blacked out! I woke up the next morning and couldn't remember anything. Kikyou must have cast a spell on me to make me say those things!"

Kagome looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Well…I suppose it's possible…"

Kouga looked down at his fiancée in shock and horror. How could she agree with him? The wolf demon tightened his hold on her to remind her that he was there and that she was his. She looked up and gave him a reassuring smile. It was then that he realized that it didn't matter what the mutt said. Kagome WAS his, and nothing would ever change that. He grinned down at her, but was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by the hanyou's voice.

"Yeah! That's what must've happened! She planted those thoughts in my head! I would never want to hurt you! I love you Kagome!" he said enthusiastically, hoping that she would leave that scrawny wolf and come back to him.

Kagome just smiled at him sadly and shook her head. "No InuYasha. It doesn't matter."

"What do ya mean 'it doesn't matter'? Of course it matters! It means that nothing I said that night was true!"

She just shook her head again. "No. That's not how a miko's spell works. We can't implant things into someone's mind. All a priestess can do is awaken your innermost thoughts and emotions from your subconscious. Even if you don't want me dead InuYasha, you still want me out of the way so you can be with Kikyou. You love Kikyou, not me. And I'm fine with that. I love Kouga, and I know he and I will be happy together. We can still be friends InuYasha. You were under a spell, so I won't hold it against you. I do love you InuYasha, but as nothing more than a friend." Kagome took a few steps out of Kouga's embrace with the intention of giving her friend a hug.

But he wouldn't have it.

He would have_ her_.

She _would_ be his.

* * *

Ohhh, what now? You'll find out soon enough, but I am taking a break. I have a ton of stuff to do and I need my wits about me to get it done. But please, feel free to check my bio anytime you want. I'm going to try to update that every week. And you can PM me with any comments, questions, and concerns, alright? (And PLEASE check out that poll!)

Up next: You're all going to kill me for this chapter, I just know it! Please don't. That's all I'm asking. Let's just say there are some uninvited guests…


	16. Return of a Priestess

Yes, yes, yes. I know you all want to kill me for not posting in forever, and you have good reason to. So you can all PM me saying how I suck and I'm a nasty ^%#&% for making you wait so long. I deserve it. I just got so caught up with school and all of that. Mix in my new obsession with Twilight and you've got a disaster waiting to happen. Though my Twilight fic isn't fairing so well…hint hint

Well, I hope this chapter was worth the wait…I'm sorry if it disappoints any of you.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 16: Return of a Priestess

When Kagome was a mere few feet away, InuYasha made his move. As his eyes flickered between amber and red, he lunged forward, grabbed her wrist tightly, and threw her over his shoulder. The hanyou made sure to wrap an arm around her legs to restrain her. And in the blink of an eye, he was off.

It took a moment for the group to process what had happened. When they finally understood the situation, Kouga howled in anger. He sped off, with, surprisingly enough, Ginta and Hakkaku on his heels. Their alpha female was in trouble and they refused to let anything happen to her.

A transformed Kirara took up the rear with Shippo on her head. She hissed in slight discomfort as Sango pulled at her fur a bit too hard.

"I'm sorry Kirara ." she apologized, scratching behind the cat's ear affectionately. "I'm just worried about Kagome. Who knows what InuYasha will do to her in his full youkai form?"

Miroku wrapped one arm around her waist, and let the other rest on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry, love. Kagome is a strong woman. If anyone can handle Inuyasha in his demonic state, she can."

"I hope you're right, Miroku." Sango was a bit surprised that the monk hadn't made a lecherous move towards her. Perhaps he _was_ changing. But all of those thoughts flew out the window when she felt his hand slide down her stomach to rest on her upper thigh, rubbing it gently. _'Then again…' _

BAM!

* * *

"InuYasha! Put me DOWN! NOW!" Kagome screamed, pounding her fists into his back.

InuYasha was losing more and more of his patience with each passing second. He was finding it harder and harder to control his demon blood.

"Hush Kagome. I'm not letting you go. You ARE going to be my mate. I can make you so much happier than that mangy wolf ever could."

"InuYasha, stop this. PLEASE. I don't love you. Let me go!:

"No, Kagome. I…" he trailed off as a strange scent filled his nose. A scent that he hadn't smelled in years. Without a second thought, the hanyou changed direction to track its source. He soon arrived at a large clearing…the same clearing that held the Goshinboku. There, standing in front of the great tree, running her hand along the scar created by the sacred arrow, was none other than Kikyou.

InuYasha unceremoniously dropped Kagome, who landed hard on her backside. "Owww."

But he didn't hear her; he was too busy gaping at the woman before him. She smelled as she had over fifty years ago. And the horrid stench of bones and graveyard soil had vanished. He slowly walked towards his old flame, as if she was a frightened deer and any sudden moment would scare her away.

"K-kikyou." he whispered.

"The miko turned to face him and smiled softly. "InuYasha." She stepped closer until they were a hair's breath apart. The miko lifted her hand and she felt her soft, gentle, _warm_ touch on his cheek. His hand rose to cup hers, and he smiled.

"Kikyou. B-but how?"

"I believe I can answer that." said Kagome.

* * *

Kouga raced through the forest. If that mangy mutt harmed even a single hair on his mate's head, he would pay dearly. The wolf prince shriveled his nose in disgust as something smelling similar to manure mixed with herbs assaulted him. It nearly overpowered Kagome's sweet scent of lilacs and vanilla…almost. A few moments later, he arrived at the clearing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kagome on her knees, wincing and rubbing her backside. Kouga rushed to her side and took her hand in his. Wrapping his free arm around her waist, he pulled his fiancée to her feet. "Kagome! Are you alright?"

Kagome smiled up at him and nodded. "I'm fine Kouga. Don't worry. I just um…fell." she replied quickly as she gently pulled out of Kouga's embrace and dusted off her knees.

Before the wolf demon could argue, the rest of the group burst through the trees. Shippou lunged at Kagome, nearly strangling her in a hug. She embraced him warmly before gently prying him off of her neck and setting him down. The young miko barely had a chance to catch her breath before Kouga wrapped his arms around her from behind and buried his nose in her soft ebony tresses, inhaling deeply.

"Oh Kami, Kagome. I was so worried. You smell wonderful, so much better than her. That woman over there has got nothin' on you. I don't know how that insolent puppy could ever compare her to you." he whispered, pulling her closer. Kagome smiled softly. It felt nice to be held so tenderly.

The other two ookami youkai stepped closer, Ginta on Kouga's right, Hakkaku on the left. "Are you sure you're okay, Kagome?" asked Ginta.

"I am now."

It was then that they heard InuYasha's question.

"I believe I can answer that." All eyes turned to the priestess. She slowly pulled out of Kouga's grasp and looked down, shuffling her feet nervously. "Well, I wanted it to be a surprise for when we got to the village…Oh well. It happened the day I went home…

* * *

Kagome got up and briskly walked out of the kitchen, leaving the wolves to their own devices against their mother. She quickly stopped after rounding the corner that led to the stairs. The miko shut her eyes tightly. "Midoriko." she whispered softly as a faint pink light surrounded her.

"Yes Kagome?"

"I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Um…can I use the jewel to bring people back from the dead? Those that Naraku killed?"

"Kagome. You do realize the extend of your wish, correct? If the jewel resurrects them, it will include the priestess, Kikyou." Midoriko explained.

Kagome gasped. "I-I didn't think…she-she'd take my soul!"

"No, Kagome. She could never take your soul. She never had it to begin with."

"But, when Urasue brought her back, she took a piece of my soul."

"Because you were the closest priestess to her at the time. Had there been any other priestess, I can assure you, the same thing would have occurred. When the original Kikyou passed on, so did her soul travel to the next world. If you revive her, her soul will be brought back from the other side, and yours will be returned to you."

Kagome took a shaky breath and smiled. "I'll do it. I wish to bring back those that were killed at Naraku's hand."

"Very well."

No sooner had Kagome opened her eyes when a bright white light shot out of the well and collided with her, knocking her back against the wall.

"Kagome! What happened!"

"Nothing, nothing! I'm alright…"

* * *

Kagome looked around to see everyone gaping at her. She smiled gently. "So you see, InuYasha, Kikyou is alive and exactly as she was before Naraku deceived you both. Sango, your village has been restored. Your family is waiting for you. Miroku, your father is also waiting for you at the exterminator's village. They all know about the engagement, and everyone is thrilled."

Last, but not least, she turned to the three wolf demons. As her eyes locked with the soft sapphire orbs of the man who had captured her heart, her radiant smile brightened. "And I have a feeling the entire pack is anxiously awaiting their leader's safe return."

Kouga blinked owlishly at her before stuttering," Th-the entire p-pack? K-kagome, you don't mean…you aren't serious…" His voice trailed off. But when he saw her nod, he rushed forward and pulled her to him, wrapping his muscular arms around her lithe waist. Picking her up, he spun the miko around as he, Ginta, and Hakkaku howled with joy. After he set her gently on the ground, Kouga left one arm around her waist as the other curled around the back of her neck and crashed his lips against hers in the most passionate kiss they had shared yet. Her fists knotted in his dark hair and he wrapped his arm tighter around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

They were pulled out of their bliss, however, by InuYasha's irritating voice. "Get off of her! She's MINE!" he screamed while still clutching onto Kikyou's slender form.

Ginta and Hakkaku stepped up, shielding their leader and his mate from the hanyou's intense glare.

"Leave Kagome nee-san alone, InuYasha! She's finally found happiness and we won't let you take that away from her!" Hakkaku yelled. "She's part of our pack and won't allow it.

"Yeah! You're not going to hurt her anymore!" Ginta added. "You already have your woman, you don't need our sister too!"

Kagome gasped. She never knew they cared about her that much. "Guys…" she whispered softly, her face awestricken.

The two wolves looked over their shoulders and saw her smile at them appreciatively. Hakkaku winked at her reassuringly while Ginta gave her a thumbs up, both grinning like idiots.

InuYasha was just about fed up with these wolves messing up his life. Kagome was his and no one else's. "Yes Kikyou is mine. And **Kagome** is Kikyou's **reincarnation**. So that means that she belongs to me too." he stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You're more screwed up in the head than I thought, dog turd." Kouga barked. "Kagome and that woman over there are two different people! They don't share the same soul! Get it? Besides, Kagome is going to be my mate anyway. She's my woman."

"Kouga!" Kagome put her hands on her hips and pouted playfully.

The wolf prince wrapped his arm around the miko and pulled her close, breathing hotly in her ear. "Well, you are…" Kagome shivered under his touch, earning a grin from her fiancé.

"No wolf. She will be mine." A deep, icy voice echoed from the shadows, causing a flock of birds to take to the sky in fright.

* * *

Yes, I left it at another cliffy…you probably hate me more now…I'm sooo sorry! ^^;

My next update (aside from any O/S plot bunnies that pop up) will be chapter three for "Snowed In". It should be up next month if I can stay with it diligently enough. After this, my updates will go: SI, LLF, SI, LLF, SI, LLF, LLF, LLF…until LLF is complete. THEN I will post a poll on my bio to see which fic I will start next.

PLEASE check out my bio after reading this for any news on upcoming fics and/or updates on my life…if you're interested…

Up next: A new player enters the game…and he's in it to win it! (P.S.- he's an OC I mentioned earlier in the story, if you can remember that far back)


	17. Dokubutsu

Hi! Miss me? Probably not…ah well, you guys are stuck with me until the story is over…if you still plan on reading it…

Here's chapter 17, it's one of my favorites. I am dedicating the chapter and the next one to my dear friend and fellow author, **Rikana**. You MUST read her fics! They are amazing- much better than mine, believe me.

Okay, so some of you guys said that it was Hojou hiding in the dark. Sadly, it was not. He is my OC from back in chapter 13, as I stated in my previous A/N.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chappie 17: Dokubutsu

"Who's there?" Kouga asked, tightening his hold on Kagome protectively as his eyes darted everywhere, searching for any movement in the underbrush.

A bush on the left side of the field rustled, turning all heads. Out stepped a man the same height as Kouga, with waist-length, dark purple hair. He had an air about him that reeked of royalty; his posture was practically screaming "DO NOT mess with me." His gray tail swayed slightly as he glided forward. A few rays of light illuminated his fair skin making it glow in a heavenly manner. Or more appropriately, a devilish manner. He wore a royal blue haori and hakama with a light purple nagajuban peeking out from underneath. Attached to his hip was a halberd rivaling the size of the Tetsusaiga, and even the mighty Banryu.

Sango's eyes widened a bit in recognition. "A coyote demon."

"Correct. Pretty smart…for a human wench that is."

"Who the hell are you!" InuYasha barked.

The demon clicked his tongue in a disapproving manner. "Temper, temper, hanyou."

"I don't need a lecture from you, ya mangy mongrel!"

The coyote's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What was that?" he sneered, "If you just said what I think you did, you've just signed your own death warrant, mutt."

"Who are you." Kouga said calmly.

The stranger chuckled darkly. "Kouga, I'm surprised at you. You don't remember your old pal…Dokubutsu."

It was Kouga's turn to be stunned. "N-no. It-it can't be! How dare you show your ugly face to me!"

"Now, now. Is that any way to speak to a dear friend and Lord of the North?"

"FRIEND! YOU BASTARD! YOU TRIED TO KILL MY FATHER!!!!"

Dokubutsu cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I would have succeeded if your damn brother hadn't interrupted us. Now then Kouga, on to business. Hand over the girl and I won't kill you." he ordered, his silver eyes burning a hole into Kagome, who flinched uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Hell no! You ain't taking Kagome anywhere!"

With a speed rivaling that of Sesshomaru, Dokubutsu made his way towards the dog, stopping mere inches in front of him. "Shut UP you stupid hanyou." he growled before curtly turning his back on InuYasha and walking towards Kouga and Kagome.

"Hey! I ain't through with you yet!" Without turning around, Dokubutsu spoke calmly and coldly.

"I choose not to deal with the sorts of you. That is to say, I don't converse with dumb asses." He stood silently for a moment then glanced over his shoulder at InuYasha, "You know, you give your own race a bad name... which is pretty hard considering you hanyous are already a bunch of damn idiots."

As he sauntered over towards the prince and the miko, the two ookami lieutenants stepped forward, further shielding them from view.

"Run away with your tail between your legs like a good little mutt."

"You will not harm our leader or his mate. Not if we have anything to say about it." Even though they were acting tough, on the inside, Ginta and Hakkaku were shaking like leaves. But they refused to show weakness, especially in front of their leader.

"Step aside you fools. I need not waste my time with bothersome pests like you." But the wolf demons stood firm, trying not to look intimidated, though they were on the verge of fainting. Kouga stepped up in front of them.

"Nice job boys. I'll take it from here. You guys protect Kagome for me."

"Yes, sir!"

Kagome ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "Please be careful, Kouga. I don't want to lose you."

Kouga turned around and took a hold of his fiancée's shoulders. Bending forward, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips and pulled back, a sly smirk adorning his face. "C'mon Kagome. You think I'm so weak that I'll get hurt by a wimp like him? I'm insulted." he mocked, feigning a hurt expression. Kagome giggled. "I'll be fine, love, as long as I have you cheering me on."

"Always."

* * *

InuYasha just stood there, mouth agape, staring at the display of affection between the couple. It was then that he realized he had lost Kagome as a mate for good. He looked at the frail woman in his arms. She was looking on at the scene before her, worry evident in her features. The inu hanyou smiled. This really was the Kikyou he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

Looking back across the field, he could see love radiating through Kagome's eyes…love for Kouga. It was the same face he made when he thought of his Kikyou. Yes, Kikyou was his. He should have known he could never have made Kagome truly happy, but because he would never be truly happy himself, not without Kikyou. He knew that he had lost Kagome as a lover, but perhaps it wasn't too late to save their friendship.

"Oi, wolf-boy!" Kouga turned and saw InuYasha smirk. "You'd better not lose, or I'll kill ya for hurting Kagome!"

The wolf prince matched the half-demon's smirk with one of his own. "Oh , really? Well then, I guess I can't lose with a threat like that hanging over my head, now can I?"

Kagome smiled. Those two were finally starting to get along. Finally!

Dokubutsu cleared his throat loudly. "Well, as much as I hate to break up this little moment of bonding between you two idiots, I really do have better things to do with my time. So Kouga, if you just hand over my new concubine, I'll be on my way."

Kouga's eyes widened in shock. "C-concubine?" he stuttered.

The coyote demon laughed, his voice cold and harsh. "What else is she good for? I'll admit that she is mildly attractive, but nothing more. Do you honestly believe that ANY self-respecting demon would mate with a human? And on top of that, she's a priestess." Kouga let out a low growl and pulled Kagome closer. Dokubutsu saw this and scowled. "Oh come now Kouga. You can't be serious. You're more of an idiot than I thought. This is ridiculous! The prince of wolves in love with a human girl!" he laughed humorlessly. "Ah well, no matter. She is going to be my slave anyway. Then, the power of the sacred jewel will be mine to control. Now girl, come here and let us depart." he commanded as he turned on his heel, his hair whipping about him.

But Kagome stood firm. "NO!"

The coyote demon stopped short. "Excuse me? I said come here!"

"No way!" she snapped. The ebony haired girl groaned. "Sango, do I look like a bone or something?" she whispered.

"Um…no. Why?"

Kagome sighed. "Then why is it that I'm always being fought over by canine demons?" Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku snickered.

Dokubutsu growled impatiently, ignoring Kagome's dry humor. "Get your ass over here now, wench!"

"Don't talk to her like that, you son of a b---!"

"Oh, please forgive me, prince Kouga," he sneered sarcastically, brushing his fingertips against the hilt of his sword, "but I do believe that I can speak to my slave in any way I choose!" And with that, he grasped the handle and unsheathed his sword. The weapon was a sight to behold. The hilt, crafted out of pure silver, was beautiful on its own, carved with intricate designs and dotted with amethysts here and there. But what was the most breathtaking was the blade itself. It was deep purple and it seemed to shimmer as the sun's rays reflected off of it.

"Like it do you? I must say I am rather fond of it myself. It's creator did a very nice job on it, though you are well aware of his work. Or so I've been told. From what I've heard, it was that weakling mutt of a half-breed over there that caused his downfall. His name was Kaijinbou."

InuYasha's eyes widened. "He forged Sesshomaru's Tokijin."

"Yes. And my Kirikizu is just as powerful, if not more so, than the infamous Tokijin."

Kouga growled, and took a stance in front of Kagome. "Oh for Kami's sake, shut up already! You haven't changed at all! You're all talk with nothing to back it up!"

Dokubutsu narrowed his eyes at the wolf demon. "Really, well then, let's just see how worthless I really am!" Without warning, the coyote demon lunged at Kouga, sword held high above his head, ready to slice his opponent in two. But the wolf was too quick as he grabbed Kagome and bolted, skidding to a stop near Ginta, Hakkaku, Miroku, and Sango.

The coyote cursed for failing to hit his target. His sword crashed into the ground and a brilliant white light erupted from the blade that made a gash all the way to the edge of the clearing, slicing a giant oak tree right down the middle. The dirt around the weapon began to sizzle and crackle as a purple substance seeped out of the blade. "Oh, did I forget to mention that my Kirikizu's blade is made of pure crystallized poison? Silly me!" the demon lord chuckled darkly. "Now Kouga, are you seriously willing to throw your life away for some pathetic human wench?"

Kouga smirked. "No. First of all, there is no "pathetic human wench" here. Second, I'm not risking my life 'cause I'm gonna kill you anyway," Kouga grinned smugly. " Now, let me ask you. Are you willing to risk your neck just to get laid by a beautiful woman for the first time in your life?" he mocked, causing the others to snicker, and Kagome to blush royally.

"Kouga!"

The wolf prince just grinned down at her.

Dokubutsu growled. "Enough of this foolish nonsense. Fight me now, Kouga, or I will kill you on the spot without hesitation." His eyes flitted from one person to the next. "And when I rid the world of your dumb ass, I'll simply take out these other idiots and make all of these women my mistresses." he smirked.

InuYasha, who had lifted Kikyou into his arms and inconspicuously crossed the field to join the others, growled loudly. "Don't you dare touch my Kikyou, you bastard!"

Sango gripped the handle of her Hirakotsu and stood firm. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to serve you, you are the real dumb ass!"

Dokubutsu smirked evilly. "Well, well. You're a little spitfire, aren't you? I'm going to have fun taming you."

Miroku snarled and grabbed the taijia's hand, pulling her behind him protectively. "If you so much as lay a finger on my fiancée, you will rue the day you ever crossed me." For once in his life, the monk actually wished he had his wind tunnel to take care of this piece of garbage.

"No!" Kouga snarled. "He's mine." The wolf prince took a few paces forward and faced the Lord of the North. Ginta and Hakkaku each grabbed one of Kagome's hands and pulled her behind them, growling loudly. Kouga scowled and cracked his knuckles. "No one, and I mean _no one,_ talks about my Kagome like that. You'll pay…with your life!"

"Oh, really? Prove it." Dokubutsu lunged at Kouga again, aiming to decapitate him. But the swift footed wolf demon dodged the attack, albeit barely.

The sword did manage to land a scratch on his armor. Kouga snarled as he looked down to find the metal begin to dissolve in front of his eyes. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Kouga looked up and locked gazes with a smirking coyote demon. But the smirk quickly vanished when Kouga began chuckling darkly.

"And what, pray tell, is so funny, wolf?"

"You are such a fool Dokubutsu. Only weak, pathetic demons battle using swords alone. A real man relies on his own strength to win. For example…" Before the coyote could react, Kouga sped toward him and attacked, ripping off the sleeve of Dokubutsu's royal blue haori, and leaving long, deep claw marks down his arm. Landing on the other side of the field, the wolf prince smirked. "See? You. Are. Weak."

The Northern Lord smirked wickedly. "Very well, Kouga. If you want to make this into a fight of brawn over brains, though I must say you don't have much of either, then so be it." Sheathing his purple sword, the coyote demon glared daggers at the wolf prince. "Let the _real_ battle begin…"

* * *

Wow, that was intense. I loved the banter between all of the characters in this chapter. And it's all thanks to Rikana, who helped me with the dialogue for Dokubutsu.

And just to be clear, a nagajuban is like an undershirt. Think of the white shirt InuYasha wears under his haori. Dokubutsu is Japanese for poison. (It's where I got the idea for the sword.) Kirikizu is Japanese for slash.

So, this story won't be updated for a little while. I've decided to finish SI before I do anything else. It's only going to be 5 chapters, and I've started already chapter 4, so I don't think there's any reason to go back and forth.

I'm going to start updating my bio once a week, so keep a lookout for any new developments. There is now a complete list of all of the stories that are in the works at the moment (not including any spur of the moment O/S fics).

Up next: The battle royal between Kouga and Dokubutsu. Who will win? Our favorite blue eyed, sexy wolf prince? Or my new, devious OC, Dokubutsu? Stay tuned and find out next time (Oh no, I sound like one of those old ending narrators for the old 1950's cartoons… XP)

(And I'm sorry if this didn't download correctly, something didn't seem right while I was editing it.)


	18. Kouga's Battle

I know…you want to kill me…go right ahead. I deserve it. I'm really sorry, but school and work have been driving me crazy- and I've had a bit of writer's block with this story. It's not that I don't know where I'm going; I don't know how to get there…kinda. I mean, I know what I want to say, but I can't seem to word it correctly.

Okay, so here's the fight scene between Kouga and Dokubutsu. I NEED feedback- I don't think this will be the last fight scene I am doing, so I need to know what to fix.

Hope this was worth the wait.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear, such as Dokubutsu.

* * *

Chapter 18: Kouga's Battle

The two canine demons circled each other, one waiting for his opponent to make the first move. Kouga quickly glanced at his fiancée and noticed she still had a concerned look on her face. He gave her a saucy wink to reassure her, and she gave him a small smile in return. Dokubutsu used his distraction to his advantage. Smirking slightly, he rushed forward and grabbed the wolf prince by the throat.

Digging his claws deeper into Kouga's neck, small trails of blood dripped down Dokubutsu's hand. "Kouga, Kouga, Kouga. Didn't your father ever teach you not to turn away from your opponent? No, I suppose not. He was such an idiot he probably forgot." he sneered.

Kouga grasped at the clawed hand that blocked his air supply, only for the coyote to tighten his grip before forcefully throwing him to the ground. The wolf skidded along the ground a few yards before gracefully flipping on to his feet. Yelling a battle cry, Kouga lunged at Dokubutsu, running at full speed. The demon lord smirked as he quickly dodged the attack, jumping out of the way. But the smirk quickly turned into a look of confusion, then fear when he saw the wolf prince grin devilishly.

Before the lord of the north had a chance to blink, Kouga leapt up and matched his height. Kouga did a mid-air roundhouse kick that connected with the coyote's jaw, knocking him out of the air and into a tree, cracking it in half.

Dokubutsu let out a soft groan and unsteadily rose to his feet. Panting, he said, "I refuse…to lose to…anyone. Especially…a weak wolf like… you."

Kouga, who was breathing heavily as well, barked out a laugh. "Yeah, right! You aren't going to win anything. You see, I have the upper hand, you mangy piece of trash."

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"I have a woman that I love and plan to protect with my life."

It was Dokubutsu's turn to chuckle. "Ah, love. What a foolish emotion. And that will be your downfall. Tell me Kouga, what is it about her that attracts you so?"

"And what business is that of yours?"

"I merely wish to understand why you waste your time on such an inferior creature."

"What are you gettin' at mutt?"

"Well, first of all, were you to marry this…human," he spat the word out as if it were leaving a disgusting taste in his royal mouth, "you do realize that any child of yours that she bears will be a lowly hanyou." He glared at the silver-haired half-demon who snorted at the comment.

But before InuYasha could argue his strength, Kouga outright laughed, ignoring the throbbing pain to his throat with each breath. "So what? It's not as if there is anything wrong with hanyous. Even though I hate to admit it, dog turd over there is one of the strongest opponents I've ever faced. And there isn't a doubt in my mind that he could kick your sorry ass into the next century." He peered over at InuYasha who gave him a small, grateful smirk, crossing his arms proudly.

Dokubutsu faltered slightly, but quickly regained his maniacal grin. "Very well then. However, you can not overlook the fact that she is weak. So what are you going to do, Kouga, when you find your "mate" is gone while you have hundreds of years left to live?"

For a moment Kagome stopped breathing. It was as if her lungs were frozen and a vice was crushing her heart. The coyote was right. She wasn't going to live as long as Kouga. There was no possible way. He would spend the majority of his life without her, and wolves only take one mate. She couldn't allow him to live hundreds upon hundreds of years alone. Kagome loved her wolf prince too much to put him through that…so she wouldn't. She wouldn't become his mate. Then he could find a female to share his insanely long lifespan. Yes. That's what she would do. After the battle--

Kouga's next declaration brought her back to the issue at hand, sending her so-called "plan" back to the deep recesses of her mind.

The wolf demon hadn't been paying the least bit of attention to what the Northern Lord had been saying. All he knew was that this demon had the audacity to insult his Kagome. "Listen dumb ass. I don't care what the hell is coming out of your mouth. I love Kagome, and nothing you ever say is going to change that. So stop wasting your breath and our time!"

Kouga's eyes were bleeding a deep pinkish hue. He refused to allow his youkai to take complete control. It wasn't that he wouldn't be able to restrain his inner beast, not at all. He just didn't want to frighten his future mate. After all, she hadn't seen him in ins true form yet, and quite frankly, he wasn't ready to show her. Besides, he couldn't let his more demonic side have all the fun, could he?

The prince charged forward and rammed his shoulder into Dokubutu's stomach. The coyote was sent flying backwards, only to have Kouga speed past him and land another powerful kick to his back, causing him to soar high into the air. He landed a few moments later, crashing into the ground with so much force that the ground shook violently. As the dust cleared, the once smooth, grassy plain now had an enormous crater smack in the middle of it. Looking over the edge, the group saw a bloody, unconscious, barely-breathing coyote demon.

Or so it seemed.

Everyone turned around and started to leave the clearing, heading back to their campsite, or rather, back to the place where InuYasha had kidnapped Kagome. After giving one last smug glance at the giant pit, Kouga walked away, taking up the rear. But the wolf prince hadn't taken two steps before feeling a sharp, searing pain in his back.

"Tsuranuku Raito!"

Once Kouga turned his back, Dokubutsu, who had been faking his state of comatose, crept up behind him, drew the Kirikizu, and slashed at his back. The sword sliced through Kouga's armor like it was paper, leaving a nasty gash across his back. Kouga's anguished howl had everyone rushing into the clearing, Kagome taking the lead.

"KOUGA!" she cried in fury and concern. "Why you--you BASTARD!" Kagome stood protectively in front of her wolf. Extending her arms forward, she readied herself to attack. Pink electric energy sizzled and crackled at her fingertips. Raising her arms above her head, she snapped them forward as if she were casting a spell. The energy blast that erupted from her fingers was so powerful, it blasted him into the air and out of the forest. She smirked to herself until she heard Kouga groan in pain.

She rushed to his side and knelt next to his trembling form. The wolf prince had fallen to his hands and knees, both about to give out from underneath him. The skin around his wound had begun to turn purple as the poison started circulating through his veins. Kagome let her hands hover over his wounded back as they began to emanate a light shade of pink. Concentrating all of her energy, the miko was able to purify the poison in Kouga's system, but the injury was still bleeding.

She called over to Sango who rushed to get the medical supplies from the yellow bag-which was still at the site where the confrontation between Kagome and InuYasha had occurred. While waiting for the taijia to return, Kagome ripped off the sleeves of her school uniform and applied pressure to the gash on the wolf prince's back, slightly subduing the red liquid.

Still pressing down on the wound, Kagome leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Don't you dare leave me, Kouga. You said that you'd be fine as long as I was with you. Well, I'm still here, Kouga, and you had better stay here too. Or are you going to break that promise you made to me?"

"N-never…" he rasped out through gritted teeth as he fell forward, losing all consciousness.

No sooner had he dropped to the ground did Sango arrive with Kagome's bag, the first aid kit already in her hands.

Actually, it was a good thing Kouga was out like a light. For he had been awake, he would have screamed bloody murder as the antiseptic brushed against the tender flesh of the cut. Once he was bandaged up, he was laid on Kirara's back while Ginta and Hakkaku led the way to a nearby cavern they had spotted earlier. InuYasha and Kikyou had gone off on their own, saying that they needed some time to "catch up" with one another.

As the group was traveling to the cave, Shippou looked up at his new mother. "Mama?" he whispered softly for fear of her reaction to the new name he had given her. Kagome just smiled warmly at him, her hear nearly bursting with pride and joy a the word.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Um, is papa going to be okay?" he asked worriedly, not wanting to lose another father, especially so soon after just getting him.

Kagome looked at her fiancé and noticed that the bandages were beginning to turn a pinkish hue, signaling that the wound was already starting to bleed through. Picking the kit up, the miko snuggled him to her, rocking him gently as she walked down the dirt path. "Of course, Shippou. He's going to be just fine." she cooed to the child calmly, though on the inside, she was anything but. "He's a strong demon, don't worry. Besides, he has us to take care of him, right?" This seemed to placate the child somewhat as he nodded off to sleep in her arms.

Kagome looked back at Kouga's still form, her expression a mixture of anger, worry, and fear. "You had better not make me a liar, Kouga."

* * *

As soon as they arrived at the cave, Ginta and Hakkaku went out in search of wood to start a fire while Sango and Miroku rummaged through Kagome's pack looking for more medicinal supplies. Meanwhile, Kagome set the kit down and go to work unrolling and opening her sleeping bag in preparation for Kouga so they could redress his wound.

By the time they had rewrapped the gash on his back and the other wolf demons had started a fire, it was late into the night. Kouga lay on his side so as not to aggravate his wound, while his head rested in Kagome's lap. A half-asleep Shippou curled up against the wolf prince and fell into a fitful sleep, listening to his father's heartbeat.

Kagome, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep even if she wanted to. She gently ran her fingers through his unbound, ebony locks, praying for him each and every second.

* * *

Kouga awoke the next morning to a dull throbbing pain in his back. As the pain ebbed away, his senses took over. He noticed that his head was resting on some sort of pillow. The ookami youkai wrapped his arms around it to pull it closer and heard it squeak.

Curious, Kouga slowly opened his eyes and, in the dim rays of the rising sun, realized that his "pillow" was actually the soft flesh of his fiancée's legs, which meant that his hands were…

The wolf prince grinned and gave his woman's backside another squeeze. He then looked up to see a red-faced, brown-eyed, beauty staring back at him.

"K-Kouga!?"

"Mornin' love." he whispered huskily.

Before either of them could speak, they heard a small yawn come from somewhere near Kouga's stomach. The couple turned to see a red-haired puffball squirming, cuddling closer to the wolf prince.

Kouga grinned and gently tapped the boy on the head. A tired Shippou sat up and stretched, rubbing the sleep from his emerald eyes. After glancing around the cavern groggily, the kitsune's eyes fell upon a blue-eyed wolf, smirking back at him. His big green orbs lit up.

"Papa? You're okay?" he asked timidly.

Kouga smiled and nodded. "What? You thought that a small scratch like that could hurt me?" he said in a playful, sarcastic tone.

Shippou laughed and launched himself into his father's arms, nearly knocking him over.

"Ooph!"

All of the noise from the commotion echoed off the cavern walls, waking the rest of the group. Everyone was relieved to see Kouga up and about.

After a calm, relaxing breakfast, the gang packed up and finished their journey to the demon-slayer village.

* * *

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, a demon with silver eyes groaned and rubbed his sore head as he stood, bracing his hand against a tree trunk for support.

"This isn't the end, you half-wit wolf…"

* * *

Here you go. Again, I'm so sorry for the wait. I've been kicking myself for months for not posting…but things are just holding me back. I promise to keep going with this story, but I don't know how often my updates will be.

By the way…Tsuranuku Raito means Piercing light.

Bye for now.

*SB*


	19. The Wedding and Kagome's Oath

Hello…I'm not going to make up an excuse for my absence, because there isn't one. It is unforgivable for me to have waited this long to post the next chapter. It's not fair to you guys and I am sorry.

But I am trying to come back, I'm in the middle of writing chapter 25, and the writer's block seems to have diminished over the last few weeks.

I'm just going to give you the next chapter. I apologize for the length. I didn't realize how short it was until after I typed it up. You guys can cuss me out all you like and I won't hold it against you. Hell, I won't even report you if all you do is rip me a new one- I deserve it.

Here you go.

* * *

Chappie 19: The Wedding & Kagome's Oath

As they came upon the taijia's home, the travelers stopped atop a grassy hill overlooking the village. Sango nearly shed tears of joy. It looked just as it had the day before she had first encountered the evil that was Naraku. A sob escaped her lips as she covered her mouth with her hand. Miroku took her free hand and gave it a gently squeeze. Sango wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, clutched his robes and cried. Miroku took her into his arms and slowly rubbed her back to calm her down.

"Hush Sango. Everything is fine. Do you really want to go in there and have everyone see you crying?" he said, smiling. The brunette smiled up at him and shook her head. Miroku gently wiped his thumbs across her cheeks, erasing any indication that she had been crying.

"Then no more tears, right?" He gave his fiancee's lithe form one final squeeze before she pulled away and took his hand, leading him down the hillside with the tiny neko youkai bounding ahead of them.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at her friends' retreating backs. It was then that she knew she had made the right choice. If that wish was able to make her soul sister happy, then it was definitely well worth it.

"Well, I guess we'd better be off."

Kagome turned to see her wolf prince and his comrades smiling at her sadly.

"You…aren't staying for the wedding?" she asked, disappointment evident in her voice.

Kouga took her hands in his. "As much as we'd love to, I don't think it would be wise for three _ookami youkai_ to get so close to so many _demon exterminators_." he replied with a grin.

The miko giggled. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Besides, I need to go back to the tribe and share all of the wonderful news." he added, giving her a saucy wink. Bending forward, he gently pressed his lips to hers. "So, I'll see you in a few days, alright, sweetheart?"

She nodded solemnly as she watched the three wolf demons disappear into the forest.

"Kagome! Are you coming?" Sango called impatiently from the bottom of the hill.

"Yeah!" Kagome replied, jogging down the slope to join her friends.

"Are Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku not coming?"

Kagome shook her head and sighed. "No, they decided that it wouldn't be a good idea for _them_ to be surrounded by a group of demon slayers-"

"Sister!"

Sango looked back towards the village and her eyes filled with tears once again.

Running towards her, flailing his arms around and grinning, was a boy of about twelve clad in a black and light blue slayer's uniform, his short, onyx hair up in a ponytail.

"KOHAKU!" the young girl called, her voice cracking with emotion. "KOHAKU!" Sango embraced her brother tightly and sobbed with joy. She feared that if she let go, it would all just be a dream.

"Welcome home, Sango."

The village celebrated throughout the night and into the early morning hours. The laughter-mostly at the expense of two drunk, perverted monks-was carried on to the wind for miles. Apparently, Miroku's father was as much of a "lady's man" as he was. So it was safe to say the older monk got his fair share of slaps that night.

And, surprisingly enough, Miroku kept his promise, even under his sake-influenced state, to only hit on and grope his soon-to-be wife. Ironically, Sango may have given him some leniency…had her father not been sitting next to her.

For the first time since Kouga's departure, Kagome was actually enjoying herself. But for some reason, there was something tugging at the back of her mind. It went perfectly with sinking, churning feeling that was grasping at the pit of her stomach and the feeling of fear and disappointment clutching at her heart. But why? Was there something she was forgetting? Or was it something she didn't want to remember? And why did she have a nagging feeling of dread that it had to do with Kouga?

"Kagome?" Sango asked, her voice laced with concern. The miko had been staring at the dancing flames of the crackling bonfire for the past ten minutes, her eyes glazed over and her lips set in a frown. "Are you alright?"

Kagome snapped out of her daze and gave the taijia a small, fake smile. "I'm fine, Sango. Just fine. Don't you worry about little ol' me." she said, waving her hand around needlessly and laughing. Sango nodded and looked away. She could tell that Kagome was lying. The brunette knew the priestess well enough to know that when she denies something, she won't stop until she is ready to tell the truth. So, Sango dropped the subject…for the time being.

As the festivities drew to a close, a fully transformed Kirara carried an unconscious, drunk Miroku to one hut, while Sango, Kagome, and a slumbering Shippou entered the hut beside it. Even though it was nearing dawn, the two girls were still wide awake, so, naturally, they started chattering about what to do for Sango and Miroku's wedding that was taking place in three days' time.

* * *

As Kouga sat at the edge of a cliff overlooking his land, the wolf prince couldn't help but grin to himself. His pack was simply jovial over the fact that Kagome had finally agreed to be the alpha female of the tribe; Kouga's mate.

Kagome…mate…Kagome…mate. He liked the sound of that. Unfortunately, there were a few older wolves who were angry with Kouga for "going against tradition" and mating with a "weak, pathetic human". It enraged the blue-eyed demon that members of his own pack would say such things about his future mate. So, he told them straight out that if that was how they felt, then they would either have to deal with it (and accept Kagome as their princess-no ifs, ands or buts about it) or be exiled from the tribe and killed on sight if they returned. Disrespecting his Kagome was disrespecting Kouga…and that was something he would not tolerate.

The ookami youkai pulled one leg up to his chest and rested his forearm on it, letting his other leg dangle lazily over the cliff's edge. The past few days had been like heaven for him. Kagome was finally his after four years of waiting and yearning. He had a cub (well…a kit) he could raise as his own son and teach him how to be a strong demon and powerful leader. Even though the kitsune wasn't his child by blood, it made no difference to him. The wolf prince had always had a sort of fondness towards the red-haired demon youth. It probably had to do with how his miko was so protective of the boy when her first kidnapped her. Ah well, that was the past. All that mattered now was that he had a family-and he couldn't have been happier.

But, for some unexplainable reason, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he tried to ignore. Shaking it off, he stood and raced towards the demon exterminator village.

* * *

As the wedding ceremony for the monk and the taijia drew ever closer, Sango's stomach could have burst with the amount of butterflies fluttering within. Kagome was tempted to give her a muscle relaxer or something to help her, but thought better of it. After all, wasn't the thrill of it all one of the joys of getting married?

Everything went by as a blur for Kagome-until the vows.

"Sango, do you take Miroku to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or worse, to care for him in sickness and health, _'til death do you part_?

"I do."

Kagome felt as if a ten ton weight had been dropped on her chest. Blocked memories from a few days prior flooded back to her.

_Dokubutsu regained his maniacal grin. "Very well then. However, you cannot overlook the fact that she was weak. So what are you going to do, Kouga, when you find our "mate" is gone while you have hundreds of years left to live?"_

After the wedding, Kagome congratulated her friends and walked away, unnoticed, into the crowd. Walking into the hut she had been sharing with Sango, the miko laid down on her futon, faced the wall, and cried for the next hour.

Kagome looked at her watch through blurred, water-filled eyes - Kouga would be arriving shortly. Wiping away the remnants of her tears, the Shikon priestess pulled a pocket-sized mirror from her yellow bag and touched up her concealer, covering up the redness of her puffy eyes.

The wolf prince arrived about a quarter of an hour later, grinning like a maniac. He skidded to a stop at the peak of the hill, not daring to get any closer to the village. He howled with joy at finally being able to see his woman again.

His howl disturbed and alerted the slayers, all of whom grabbed their weapons and rushed to the outskirts of the village and readied themselves for an attack.

Kagome rushed to the head of the mob, and shielded Kouga from them. "NO! He's not the enemy! He's my…fiancé." Her voice dulled to a whisper toward the end, still confused and disoriented from her recent revelation. Luckily, Kouga failed to notice the sadness that tinted her words, his grin only widening because of them.

She looked back at him and her heart just melted when she saw how happy he was to see her.

How was she going to tell him that she was leaving him? And even worse, how was he going to take it."

* * *

Another cliffhanger, I know.

You guys have to promise me that if I don't update in a month, PM me relentlessly to get a fire going under my ass, and I will do everything in my power to post chapter 20.

Bye.

*SB*


	20. The Situation

So, here's chapter 20. I couldn't wait to get it out. But because I'm doing this, it will take me longer to get out chapter 21. I have it written out- I just hate typing these things up.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear.

* * *

Chapter 20:

Situation

The journey back to the caves was pretty quiet and uneventful. A few meager demons attempted to snatch Kagome to use her powers, but Kouga made quick work of them. And there were no attacks once they reached wolf demon territory, thanks to Kouga's reputation.

Once they reached the caves of the Eastern wolf tribe, Kagome smiled a real, genuine smile for the first time in days. Lush, green fields and a crystal clear brook were the first things she saw once they reached the top of the waterfall; it was the same cascade that Kouga had taken her to when he had kidnapped her.

Kouga lifted Kagome into his arms and effortlessly jumped down from the cliff and sprinted to the top of the hill that overlooked the grassy plains. There were wolves and demons everywhere. In one corner, groups of cubs were running around playing as their parents watched fondly. In another area, there was a formation of men who were practicing their fighting skills; some with swords, others with their archery, and also hand to hand combat. The miko could barely make out Hakkaku and Ginta battling in the center of the pack.

Kagome felt a tug at the hem of her skirt and looked down into the eyes of two curious wolf demon cubs. The elder, a girl about six years old, stared up at her with big, green, doe-like eyes. Her lips flickered up into a bright, adorable smile.

Her eyes suddenly shifted to Kouga, "Um, Prince Kouga? Is this your woman?" she asked with a light, almost bell-like voice. Her fluffy, black tail swayed back and forth as she jumped from one foot to the other anxiously. She was wearing a black fur tube top and pelt that matched her tail. She had curly dirty-blonde hair that reached the middle of her back.

Kouga wrapped a strong arm around Kagome's lithe form and grinned.

"Yup. And she's here to stay!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Wow! She's so pretty!" she said, smiling sweetly.

Kagome smiled down at the girl. "I'm Kagome. What's your name?"

The child jumped up and down excitedly, a huge grin plastered on her face. "My name's Sei! And this is my brother, Uchi!" she said, pointing to the four-year-old boy on her right. When the miko looked at the brown-eyed cub, he blushed a scarlet and averted his gaze to the ground. His pelt and fur vest were a dark brown, and he had black hair that was cut short. He mumbled something under his breath. Sei heard what he had said and burst into a fit of incessant giggles.

"What? What did he say?"

"He wants to know why prince Kouga gets all of the pretty girls."

Kagome's face flushed while Kouga started laughing.

"Seiryoku! Uchiki! What have I told you two about running off?" a young woman's voiced bellowed. The foursome looked up and saw a lovely wolf demoness, who could only be a few years older than Kagome, storming towards them.

Her waist-length, curly, dirty-blond hair whipped behind her and her chocolate-brown eyes focused in on the cubs. She had a silky black tail that was swishing angrily, and she was clad in a fur tube top and pelt, both a light brown. She walked right up to the children and fisted her hands on her hips. "I turn my back for two minutes, and you disappear. You scared me half to death. Oh!" she gasped, startled by Kagome and Kouga's presence. She gave them a small, respectful bow and an apologetic smile. "I hope those two little ones haven't been causing you trouble."

Kouga just waved it off. "Nah, don't worry about it. They've been perfect angels." He crouched in front of the children and ruffled Sei's hair affectionately, making her laugh.

The wolf cub's big, forest-green eyes suddenly locked onto the small child hiding behind Kagome's legs. She pranced over to the young kit and smiled. "Hi!" she chirped. "What's your name?"

"Shippou." the boy replied quietly, giving her a small smile.

She beamed. "I like that name. C'mon Shippou. Let's play!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him off in the direction of the other children. He blushed and followed willingly.

Kagome looked at the last remaining child and smiled. "Uchiki, why don't you go play with them?"

The male cub blushed and ran off in the other direction. He returned a few seconds later and presented the miko with a lovely yellow daffodil. When Kagome bent down to accept it, he quickly kissed her on the cheek and raced off after Sei and Shippou.

Once the cub was out of earshot, Kouga, Kagome, and the blond demoness began laughing. "Your children are adorable." Kagome commented after catching her breath.

"Yes, they can be a handful at times, but I wouldn't change a thing."

"Kagome, this is my cousin, Kimae. Kimae, this is my fiancée, Kagome."

Kimae grinned. "So you're the human I've heard so much about. It's a pleasure to finally meet you...especially since Kouga can't seem to stop talking about you. Welcome to the family, Kagome." She stepped forward and gave Kagome a warm hug.

"Thanks. It's wonderful to meet you, too." the Kagome replied, beaming.

Kouga stepped in and wrapped a tan arm around Kagome's shoulders. "I'm going to give Kagome a tour of the land. Then you can take Kagome and show her the ropes. Alright?"

Kimae crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine," she huffed playfully, "you win...for now. I'll see you soon, Kagome!" She kissed Kagome on the cheek and walked away to watch over the cubs.

Kouga shook his head and smiled. "She can be so childish sometimes, it's hard to believe she's a mother. Let's go, love." The wolf prince took his woman's small, alabaster hand in his own large, tan one and lead her to the cave. But they didn't make three steps into the main cavern before Kagome was knocked onto her back.

"Oof" she gasped, as she felt warm breath and a wet tongue washing over her face. She pushed herself into an upright sitting position. In her lap was a little wolf pup yipping and wagging its tail excitedly. The puppy was black with patches of white on her left ear, right eye, left front paw, and the tip of her tail.

A group of wolf demons and demonesses stopped and stared at her before bursting into laughter. But all of the laughing stopped abruptly at what happened next.

Kouga chuckled and shook his head at the predicament Kagome was in. With every step he took towards her, the low growl rumbling in the pup's chest grew louder and more intense. But the biggest shock came when Kouga reached out to help Kagome stand. The black and white wolf pup spun around in Kagome's lap and snapped at the oncoming hand. The wolf prince immediately pulled back and stared at the audacious pup, before bursting into laughter. He quickly, but gently, picked the small wolf up by the scruff of her neck and helped Kagome to her feet.

"Well, that's the first time a wolf has ever tried to attack me," he mused, grinning, "I guess you found your partner-or rather, she found you."

"Partner?"

"Yep. All members of the wolf demon royal family have a 'life partner'. This little one is your partner, your protector." he explained, handing the growling fur ball to Kagome. The wolf's tail started wagging as she squirmed in Kagome's arms, trying to find a way to give her kisses. "It's strange, though. A pup has never chosen its partner-it's always been the other way around.

"When a demon of royalty turns eighteen, they choose a 'life partner' from the youngest litter of pups. He or she becomes their 'life partner'. They are there to do as you wish and become head wolf of the tribe. They can run errands or help supervise the tribe if you're away, things like that. They are very protective of their masters, as you just saw, but this little one will soon accept me being around you."

The priestess looked up at Kouga and raised an eyebrow curiously. "So, where's your partner?" she asked, setting the pup on the ground, trying to ignore her as she pawed at her leg and pulled on her sock.

Kouga smirked before lifting his hand to his mouth and whistling long and loud. "Lightning!" Sitting at his side instantly was another wolf, a few years older than the one at her feet. It was a male, his fur a medium brown to match Kouga's pelt and tail. Along his back, from the top of his head to the tip of his tail, was a slim, white stripe and his four paws were black. He had dark, black eyes.

The small pup stumbled towards the new wolf curiously and sniffed. The older canine leaned down and knocked the pup over playfully, tickling her by nuzzling her stomach affectionately.

"What are you going to name her?" Kouga asked.

The young wolf looked up at Kagome with sparkling ice-blue eyes. "Hmmm...how about Stardust?" she offered. The pup wagged her tail and ran around in circles, yipping excitedly. "I think she likes it."

* * *

A week had passed since Kouga and Kagome had returned to the tribe. Kouga was sitting on the edge of one of the high cliffs overlooking his territory. His mind was in overdrive as his legs swung back and forth in the air anxiously. He sighed, watching his pack enjoying the warm weather of late spring.

The cubs ran around playing in the fields under the watchful eyes of their mothers. All of the children took an instant liking to Shippou, Sei especially. The wolf prince's heart swelled with pride as he thought of the kit, his son. Newly adopted as he was, Kouga could see a bit of himself in the boy. Or perhaps it was that the boy's demeanor reminded him so much of Kagome.

Kagome.

Kouga sighed sadly as an image of her perfect face flashed in his mind: her lovely, chocolate brown eyes; the way her dark, ebony tresses cascaded down her back; her smooth peachy complexion and how it tinted pink when she blushed. And her lips. Her soft, pink, luscious lips.

He and Kagome hadn't mated yet, and it was driving Kouga mad. And what was worse, she seemed to be acting very distant and cold towards him, like she had been trying to avoid him. It made his heart break a little more each time he so much as looked at her. Why was she acting this way? Had he done something wrong? Had she changed her mind? Did she not love him any more?

No! That couldn't be it, could it? He needed to find out, soon.

For the first few days after arriving at the eastern wolf demon tribe, Kagome sat motionless in the corner of Kouga's private cavern. She wouldn't talk, she rarely ate, and she refused to speak to anyone. Not Kimae. Not Shippou. Not even Kouga. She just huddled in the corner, silently, crying herself to sleep every night. It worried the entire pack.

After five days, Kouga couldn't take it anymore. That night, he crept over to Kagome's quivering body and sat down beside her. With his back against the wall, the wolf prince gently pulled his fiancee' onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her lithe body. Kagome went rigid in his embrace before protesting, kicking and screaming. This went on for nearly an hour, before she broke down, sobbing into Kouga's bare chest. Kouga, bewildered by her sudden outburst, rocked her back and forth slowly, whispering calmly in her ear.

"Kagome, love, please don't cry. I'm right here. Everything is going to be just fine. Now, please tell me what's wrong. Please." he begged. But her next words made his face pale and his heart dropped into his stomach.

"Kouga, I'm so...so sorry! I can't...I can't be your mate!"

* * *

There you are. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but it won't be until at least September.

Until then!


	21. The Solution

Hi everyone! Yay- a new chapter! I'm dedicating this one to two of my biggest supporters: thetwizzler1322, who lit that damn fire under my ass and got me to push this thing out (thank you for that XP), and Purple-Partying-Nina1236, who was sweet enough to take time out of her day to read every chapter! You guys are the best! (And I apologize for all of my pestering- you are angels for putting up with me)

!IMPORTANT! - PLEASE check out my poll! I NEED help! And tell me what you think of my OCs! I want to know how I'm doing with them.

Here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear: Dokubutsu, Kimae, Sei, Uchi, Stardust, Lightning, and more (hint hint)

* * *

Chapter 21: Solution

"I can't be your mate!"

"You…you don't want to be my mate?" he choked.

Kagome looked up at him, her cheeks stained from her tears, and shook her head, "That's not it, Kouga. I love you so much. I want to be your mate, I really do. But I just…can't."

Kouga's brows knitted together in confusion, "I don't understand. If you do want to be my mate, then why…?"

Another tear slid down her smooth, porcelain face, "Because you're a demon, Kouga, and I'm only human. It just…it wouldn't work."

"Kagome, I don't care. I love you! I want to spend the rest of my life with you-"

"But that's just _it_ Kouga! I'm _only_ human. Demons can live for what, hundreds, possibly thousands of years? I'll only live for 90 years, one hundred if I'm lucky. When I die, I don't want you to spend your life alone! I can't! I just can't do that to you!"

The wolf prince was speechless. He just held her close as she sobbed into his shoulder, before finally crying herself to sleep.

Kouga lay awake in his bed, his miko cuddled up against his side. Her eyes were still rimmed with red and a bit puffy. One of her arms was wrapped tightly around his bare torso.

'_There has to be a way for us to be together. I've worked too hard for this to just give up now!'_

By the early morning, Kouga had fallen into a dreamless sleep. He was suddenly jolted awake by a long lost memory.

Perhaps there was a way to save their relationship.

A few hours later, while the sun was still low in the sky, Kouga slowly and quietly slid out of Kagome's embrace to be sure not to wake her. He washed quickly and headed to the mouth of the cave, grabbing his two lieutenants along the way.

"Ginta, Hakkaku. I need you to find the flea demon called Myouga. I need to talk to him soon. You guys have to hurry."

"Alright, Kouga." they replied in unison.

"But, um, Kouga? How are we supposed to find him?" Hakkaku pointed out.

"Check with dog tur- I mean, InuYasha. He should know. Got it?"

"Sure thing!"

"We're on it!"

And they were gone.

"So, what was that all about?" a bell-like voice chimed from behind him.

He turned around to find Kagome standing a few feet away with a small smile on her face.

"Oh, you're awake," He strode forward and clasped his strong hands around her petite, "How are you feeling?" He mentally kicked himself when the smile vanished and was replaced by a grimace.

"Better," she replied, her voice soft and distant, "it still hurts. But I'm glad I told you. It's good to get it off of my chest."

Kouga wrapped his arms around Kagome and pulled her close so that her hands were pressed against his toned chest, "I wish you had told me sooner. You don't know how much it pained me to see you upset like that."

"I'm sorry, Kouga. I just didn't know how to tell you. What are we going to do?"

The wolf demon sighed, but didn't answer. He _did_ have an idea, but he didn't want to get her hopes up.

* * *

Around midday, Kouga was back on his cliff, very deep in thought. Kimae had stolen Kagome away hours ago, wanting to get to know the miko better. The wolf prince was determined to find a way to keep Kagome with him and make her happy.

"Kouga!"

His head snapped up and he saw his two lieutenants running up the rocky path towards him.

"You wished to speak with me, your highness?" Myouga's nasally voice asked.

"Yes. I've been told that you are very well informed when it comes to myths and legends. I heard a story when I was younger about a human sorceress who fell in love with a powerful demon…

* * *

_Shortly after they mated, the woman was attacked. As she was wandering through the woods, gathering herbs for her next potion, she was ambushed by a small group of highwaymen. She was beaten so badly that by the time her husband found her, she was on the brink of death. He raced her back to the hut they shared and set her down gently on a pallet. He then tore the house apart, grabbing bottle after bottle. He searched the entire hut for a potion that would save her._

_After practically demolishing the hut, he finally found a small vial filled with a strange blue liquid. The demon had watched his mate work enough times to know that this was the elixir that would save her life._

_He quickly measured and poured half of the vial's contents into a small sake bowl. _'Too little of the potion will cause the body to freeze from the inside out. Too much will cause the body to overheat and the person will die from the high fever. Just in the middle is just enough.'

_Unbeknownst to him, a shard of broken glass had left a small gash in his palm. A few drops of blood had accidentally been mixed into the potion just as the last of it flowed past her lips._

_Her breathing became ragged and uneven. She began flashing around violently as she whimpered in pain. He tried soothing her, but her breathing just became more and more shallow. Her soft whimpers quickly turned into high-pitched shrieks of agony and she was covered in a light sheet of cold sweat. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, only to pull away from her burning skin. He quickly found a cloth and filled a bowl with ice cold water before rushing back to her side. He gently pulled her head into his lap._

_She thrashed around relentlessly for a few minutes before growing stiff as a board, her screams never waning. He gently brushed her hair out of her eyes and felt her entire form shaking. Her flesh had practically turned to ice. Laying her back down on the futon, he gathered as many blankets as he could find and wrapped them around her snugly from the chin down. Not once did he leave her alone, even when it got to the point where her shrieks nearly caused her ears to bleed._

_After a few hours, she started burning up again. Her screams were replaced with horrid, agonizing moans that tore at her mate's heart. He quickly threw the covers off of her, grabbed a cold, damp cloth, and began dabbing at her forehead and cheeks to cool her down._

_This went on for what seemed like an eternity. Periodically, her body temperature would drop or rise dramatically, her screams and moans alternating with it._

_After five torturous days and nights, the hut went quiet. Her heart sped up to the point where it sounded like it would explode from her chest before it came to an abrupt halt. The demon grabbed her slightly warm hand and gripped it tightly. He shook his head in disbelief as the hot tears slid down his cheeks. His head dropped as he lifted her limp hand to his lips._

_So caught up in his grief, he failed to notice her faint heartbeat getting stronger with each passing second. Her eyes fluttered open and she called his name softly. His eyes snapped to her pale face and she gave him a weak smile. Her grinned in return._

_Gently, he pulled her into his lap. His eyes raked over her body and was shocked by her new appearance._

_Her eyes were no longer the brilliant blue that he had fallen in love with. They were a bright lavender that he found even more lovely. Her figure was more defined and filled out' Her short, blonde hair had grown past her shoulders and was a sparkling silver._

_Her face flushed bright red and looked away as he appraised her new body. Her husband chuckled and took her chin in his hand, forcing her eyes to meet his. He captured her lips in a sweet, passionate kiss._

* * *

"And to this day, the sorceress and her demon mate live their lives in isolation, away from the world and all of its evils."

Myouga sighed, "Ah, the myth of Rei-Teki. She'll be pleased to know that her story has traveled this far."

Kouga's eyes widened. "You mean it's true? It isn't just some child's fairytale?"

"Indeed, Mi-lord."

"I need you to tell me where to find her!"

"I don't think that is a wise decision," but with one look at Kouga, he conceded, "Very well. The sorceress, Rei-Teki, resides in a small cottage in the Southern Forest. The clearing is on the border that separates the Eastern Lands from the Southern Lands. But I must warn you, Lord Kouga, be very cautious. Not only is the sorceress a formidable opponent, but she has more power in one potion than Naraku could ever dream of possessing."

With that, the old flea demon bounded off, no doubt trying to flee the scene before Kouga could assign him the job as his guide.

"Hm. Kagome was right."

"About what, Kouga?"

"That guy really is a coward."

* * *

"Kouga, do you really have to go?" Kagome asked, giving the wolf prince a pout that he found simply adorable.

"I'm sorry, love, but this is something I need to do. Don't worry, I'll only be gone for a few days, I promise. You won't even know I'm gone."

"I highly doubt that."

"Sweetheart, when you've known Kimae for as long as I have…well, let's just say you won't have time to miss me." he grinned. He was rewarded by one of her genuine, bell-like laughs.

Giving her one last sweet kiss, he set out on a journey that would change his life.

Whether it would be for better or worse, he didn't know.

* * *

What did you think? Was that a bad ending? I don't think it was a cliffy, but what do I know? Lol.

Don't forget to check my poll please…you're results will affect the rest of this story.

Later! ;)

*SB*


	22. The Quest

Hey all! Yay, I posted twice in one month! Haven't done that in a while, ne?

Just so you know, I'm taking the poll down on November 12 (One o you knows why…lol) Right now the results are as follows:

Neither: 3

Miroku and Sango: 2

InuYasha and Kikyou: 1

Both: 1

Let me know what you want!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear: Dokubutsu, Kimae, Sei, Uchiki, Stardust, Lightning, Rei-Teki, Okayaki, Yukan, and more (hint hint)

* * *

Chapter 22: The Quest

One day into his journey, Kouga came across a cavern sitting at the edge of the forest. A small, crystal-clear brook ran alongside it. Seeing as he was already halfway to his destination, the wolf prince decided to rest for the night.

Kouga was startled awake in the pitch black darkness by an extremely loud clap of thunder. At the next flash of lightning, he saw that the rain was pouring down in buckets. A chill swept through the cave, so he pulled on a giant pelt - or as Kagome called it, a coat - his priestess had given him before he had left. Her scent enveloped him, helping him fall, once again, into a fitful sleep.

The next afternoon, Kouga reached the edge of the clearing that rested on the border that separated the Western and Southern Lands. It looked like something out of a fairytale. Covering the meadow was a blanket of purple irises and honeysuckle that surrounded a small log cabin. Climbing up the eastern wall of the cottage were budding yellow jasmine flowers. Smoke was curling up out of the chimney of the cottage.

But when Kouga tried to step into the meadow, he was met with an electric shock to his system that sent him flying back into a tree. Getting back onto his feet quickly, he raced forward, ramming his shoulder against the barrier, only to be thrown to the ground once more. He stood again and walked up to the barrier, trying to find a weak point. He looked back at the cottage and found the door open; a young woman was gracefully loping towards him.

She looked almost ethereal.

She was clad in a white, silk kimono adorned with large, red circles and a red obi. Her feet were bare. Her skin was smooth, as if she were no older than Kagome or Sango, and alabaster, almost as pale as the fabric of her kimono. She had silver hair that hung in a braid, ending at the middle of her back. Her eyes were light lavender, with very subtle hints of blue.

"So, you are the wolf prince, Kouga." she stated rather than asked. Her voice was like the chiming of bells.

"And you are the sorceress, Rei-Teki."

"I am."

I'm here to-"

"I know why you are here," she interrupted. She waved her hand dismissively and the barrier dissipated instantly, "You wish to learn how to create an immortal, correct?"

Kouga gave a stiff nod and opened his mouth to speak, but the woman cut him off.

"Come inside and we'll talk."

She then walked back into her home without another word.

As soon as he walked in the door, his nose was assaulted by a plethora of perfumes and potions, most of which sent his stomach reeling. The room was nearly pitch black, save two windows that were covered by flimsy, silver curtains. Along the walls were bottles upon bottles of potions, flowers, and herbs. Off in one corner of the room was a small pile of freshly stripped animal bones, the meat sitting in a large basin next to them, and the pelts hanging on a strip of leather above them to dry.

"Sit." Rei-Teki ordered, motioning towards some small cushions set on the floor next to a smoldering fire pit in the center of the room. Kouga sat down on a black one and crossed his legs. She sat on a blue one across from him and folded her hands in her lap.

"You are in love with a human. A priestess."

"Yes."

"And you are aware that a human's life span is much shorter than that of a demon."

"Yes."

"Tell me, _prince_," she sneered, "would you love this Kagome more if she were an immortal such as yourself?"

"No," She looked at him curiously, "there is no way for me to love her more than I do now. I just want to be able to love her for as long as I possibly can. It is her wish, as well as mine, to live as one. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't care less if she were to stay human or not. I'd still love her with everything I have. This is what she wants. And I plan to do whatever I can to keep her happy and safe."

For the first time since he had arrived, Rei-Teki gave him a small smile. "Good answer."

She fluidly rose from her seat and swiftly glided over to one of her many shelves, grabbed a small vile, and returned to a now standing Kouga.

The sorceress handed him the bottle. "There is enough elixir in this vial for the transformation. Add ten drops of your blood to the potion before she drinks it. I must warn you, though; your priestess' transformation will be very different from mine.

"When I was changed, I was only a human. My powers come from spells and potions, while a priestess has the power inside of them from birth. Your Kagome's duty is to purify demons, right? So, what do you think will happen when your demonic blood comes in contact with her inner purification energy? And, seeing as she is the keeper of the Shikon No Tama, you'd have to multiply her power by three.

"I would estimate that the potion will take about two months to take effect, and the transformation itself will last for a week at most. However, I do not know what will happen during the change, there are too many possibilities. Her body temperature could change, like mine did, she could lose consciousness, she could even become delirious; there is no way to tell. But I would suggest taking her somewhere secluded and stay with her."

"And you are sure that this potion will work?"

"Positive."

"Thank you, Lady."

"Good luck, Prince Kouga."

Kouga then strode out the door and past the tree line, the barrier immediately going up behind him.

* * *

As soon as Kouga had left, Kagome began to withdraw into herself even further, but Kimae wouldn't have it.

"Kagome, you're a mess," she stated bluntly, "You can't keep this up. As future Alpha Female of this pack, you need to set an example for the rest of us. All of this sulking isn't doing anyone any good. In fact, your bad vibe is making things much worse for a lot of people.

"Kouga left for a reason that he wouldn't tell anyone about. Ginta and…..H-Hakkaku are in charge, so I have to keep an eye on then as well as my own children. And add into the mix how worried I've been about you! Sei and Uchiki probably think I've forgotten about them. And poor Shippou has been moping this whole time."

Kagome's head snapped up, "What?"

The blond demon scoffed, "If you'd stop wallowing in self-pity, you'd realize that you've been ignoring him for the past week," her voice grew soft, 'Kagome, you've been dead on you're feet and you're scaring me."

The miko sighed, "I'm sorry, Kimae. I guess I've been worrying about something that is out of my control."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kagome shook her head and gave Kimae a sad smile, "No, there's no point in thinking about something when there's nothing I can do about it."

"You sure? Then let's go outside. The kids are probably getting restless," she offered with a grin before she yanked Kagome out the entrance of the cave.

Kagome squinted in the harsh rays on sunlight. Once her eyes adjusted to the change, she saw all of the cubs running around in the field. Her eyes scanned the area and she noticed Shippou sitting off to the side, staring blankly into space.

"Shippou!"

The young kit's eyes lit up at the sound of Kagome's voice, and he quickly raced up to the two women.

"You're okay now, Kagome?"

She smiled, "Yes, Shippou. I'm feeling much better now. Why don't you go play with Sei? I think she misses you."

The boy blushed and nodded before scampering off. Kagome and Kimae watched as he walked up behind the small girl and tapped her on the shoulder. The wolf cub twirled around and grinned before pulling him into a bone crushing hug.

Both of the women had just sad down on the grass when Stardust jumped into Kagome's lap with a bark, startling them.

A while later they were joined by the two lieutenants; Ginta sat next to Kagome and Hakkaku seated himself beside Kimae, much to her delight.

Kagome stood after a few hours of idle chit chat and headed inside. Halfway to Kouga's secluded area of the den, the miko was called out.

"Human!"

She turned towards the direction of the voice and found herself staring into the eyes of a very irate wolf demoness. Kagome took half a step backwards.

"What?"

The woman was quite attractive. Her eyes were a dark mauve color, and her skin looked like it had been kissed by the sun. Her brown hair hung down to the middle of her back, and she wore a brown fur tube top and pelt.

She scowled, "You don't belong here. You're just a weak, little human girl who doesn't know how to do anything except cry and whine. Kouga only brought you here out of pity. So why don't you just leave and save us all of this aggravation."

"Oh, why don't you just shut up, Okayaki? Your voice is giving me a headache." Some of the surrounding wolf demons snickered.

"Stay out of this, Kimae. This is between me and the human bitch! How about you go back to run back to your mate and bastard children? Oh, that's right, you can't! Your mate is dead. And he wasn't even your mate, you slut!" he spat.

* * *

_Kimae and Kagome were wandering around the wolf demon territory._

"_So, Kimae, when do I get to meet your mate?"_

_The blond demoness stopped walking and looked away. "I…don't have a mate," she whispered._

_Kagome pulled Kimae over to a nearby boulder and sat them both down, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk?"_

_Kimae nodded slowly. "Yukan and I were madly in love, but we never actually mated. I mean, we made love, but he never marked me. We weren't ready for that yet._

"_After Sei was born, Yukan was ecstatic. He was an amazing father, and Sei was definitely a daddy's girl._

"_Yukan proposed a few years later, and I, of course, accepted. But the night we were supposed to mate is a night I will never forget…it was the last night we were attacked by the Birds of Paradise._

"_Yukan was one of Kouga's best warriors, so he was almost always in battle. And any time he was back at the den, it was only for a few days to tend to his wounds._

"_A few days before Kouga brought you to the den, Yukan had to go into battle. I was able to catch him before he left and tell him that I was pregnant with Uchiki. He was absolutely thrilled and promised that we would mate the night that he returned from the war…he never came back."_

"_I'm so sorry," Kagome whispered._

_Kimae have a watery smile. "It's fine. The pack has been very supportive and helpful…especially Hakkaku," she replied with a blush._

"_Really?"_

"_Mm-hm. He treats Sei and Uchiki as if they were his own children."_

"_You like him." It wasn't a question._

_Kimae's blush grew brighter. "Is it that obvious?"_

_The priestess nodded vigorously, "And I can tell that he likes you a lot, too."_

* * *

Not a second had passed before Kimae was in Okayaki's face. "You can insult me all you want. But never talk about my children like that again, or so help me, I swear that I will rip out your throat and throw you over that damn cliff!" she growled.

"Hey, back off you blond bitch!" Okayaki drew her hand back to smack Kimae, but a large hand clamped around her wrist before she had a chance to. She looked up into the wrathful, narrowed eyes of an extremely pissed off wolf demon with a white Mohawk.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her or I will make sure you regret it," he growled. Hakkaku quickly dropped her wrist, as if he had been burned, and wrapped his arm around Kimae's waist, leading her back to where Kagome and Ginta stood. "Are you alright?"

Kimae nodded meekly. Hakkaku hooked a finger under he chin and kissed her sweetly on the nose, "Good."

"Enough of this!" Okayaki snapped, "Kouga is mine! He's supposed to marry me!"

Ginta, Hakkaku, Kimae, and a few of the other demons laughed. The miko looked at them in confusion to which Ginta responded, still laughing, "Before you came along, Kagome, she deluded herself into thinking that she was Kouga's fiancée."

"But the only thing Kouga ever wanted was for her to leave him alone," Hakkaku finished with a smirk.

"What about Ayame, though?" she asked. She was a little worried about how the redhead would feel if she knew what was going on between her and Kouga.

"Who's Ayame?"

"I am."

* * *

Oops, another cliffy. Sorry…

So, now we have a background story for some of my OCs. I just don't want them popping out of thin air. Even I feel bad for Kimae. Did you like the Hakkaku/Kimae fluff? I was actually thinking of doing a separate oneshot about the two of them, what do you think? Do you think I should give Ginta a significant other? How was Okayaki?

I'm almost done writing the story. I'm on chapter 28; I'm hoping to be done by 33 or 35 at the most.

Oh, and keep an eye out - I have my first Ouran High School Host Club fic almost finished. I think it will be up next month. It's a Twins/Haruhi oneshot. (Come on, you cannot split up the twins!)

Next time: Kouga is back, and he has a surprise for Kagome…and she has a surprise for him as well…


	23. The Surprise

Hi all - yes, I'm alive - and here is the next chapter to Love Lasts Forever. I'm going back to school for my last semester, but I'll try to keep it going. I plan to finish this story as soon as I can.

I'm dedicating this chapter to KanamexYuuki fan, who was the one to kick my butt into gear…and also gave me my 300th review (Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd get so many!)

WARNING: This chapter is slightly limy with a large amount of completely unadulterated fluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear: Dokubutsu, Kimae, Sei, Uchiki, Stardust, Lightning, Rei-Teki, Okayaki, Yukan, and more.

* * *

Chapter 23: Surprise

All heads turned toward the entry of the cave where there stood a petite, female silhouette.

The girl's hair was pulled up into two high pigtails, a flower set on the left side. She was clad in furs and a metal chest plate and her tiny hands were fisted at her hips as she glared down at the scene before her. Her green gaze flitted from one person to he next before finally landing on Kagome.

She strode into the cave until she stood a foot in front of Kagome.

"Kagome…"

"Hey, Ayame…um…what's up?"

Ayame's frown changed to a full-blown grin and she pulled the miko into a hug, "I'm so happy for you. Congratulations!"

"You're not upset?"

The red haired demoness pulled away and shook her head, "Heck no, I am completely over that stubborn wolf," her voice dropped to a whisper, "Besides, I'm being courted by someone else now," she squealed.

Kagome, Ginta and Hakkaku laughed. Kimae was too preoccupied with Hakkaku's arm still wrapped around her waist to pay much attention to anything else.

"Who is it?" Ginta prodded.

Ayame flushed and bit her lower lip, "Well, it's his younger brother, Namaiki," she sighed dreamily before delving into a fully detailed description of how they first met and their relationship thus far.

Okayaki, not one to be ignored, unsheathed a dagger from her fur leg wrap and ran at Kagome, aiming for her back.

A sudden howl ripped through the air and the demoness was pinned to the ground on her back by a large, brown wolf. Lightning growled harshly and bared his teeth at her dangerously. Stardust quickly scampered over to them, adding her own barking and snapping to the scene.

Kimae and Ayame pulled Lightning off of Okayaki while Kagome picked up her pup. Ginta and Hakkaku each grabbed one of the demoness' arms and pinned her to the wall of the cave, her dagger forgotten on the floor.

By then, the rest of the pack had filed into the cavern, most of them sneering at the mauve-eyed woman. Kimae handed Lightning off to another demon as she and Ayame advanced on the struggling demoness, baring their claws and fangs.

"What the hell is going on here?"

The room fell silent, aside from one strangled cry,

"Oh, Kouga! Thank goodness you're back! Can you please tell these morons to let me go? I didn't do anything!"

The two demons slammed her back into the wall, but refused to let her go.

Hakkaku growled first, "You little bitchy liar!"

"You think trying to kill Kagome is nothing?" Ginta added with a snarl.

"_What!_"

"She attacked Kagome while her back was turned," Ayame hissed. She had to grab Kimae's arm to restrain her from lunging at Okayaki.

She screeched loudly, " She tried to stab her with a dagger!"

Kouga was positively livid. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides and his form was visibly shaking. But his eyes…

…his eyes bled crimson…

"Follow me," he commanded in a low, deadly voice, before storming into his and Kagome's private quarters. He took a few deep, calming breaths as he waited for the demoness to enter. He was moments away from killing Okayaki.

After he banished her from the tribe, he was debating whether or not to send some of the wolves to finish her off, but decided against it. She wasn't worth it.

"Kagome, come in here please?" he called, his voice wavering.

As soon as the fur pelt fell behind her, Kouga pulled her into a tight hug, burying his nose in her soft, dark hair.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

She pulled back and took his face between her hands, "I'm fine, Kouga," she replied seriously, earning her a small smile from Kouga, "So, did you have fun on your adventure?"

The wolf prince's smile grew into a grin as he swept her up into his arms. He carried her over to their cot, sat down, and settled her in his lap.

"Well, love, I found a way for you and I to be together."

"But, Kouga, I-"

He cut her off with a kiss as he pulled the vial out of the pouch at his waist, "Just listen, okay? I left because I heard tales about a potions master who lived in the south. There was a rumor that she could create an immortality elixir. Apparently, the rumor was true."

He showed her the neon blue liquid. "Kagome, I need to make sure you know that this potion is extremely dangerous. According to the sorceress, the potion should start to take effect in about two months, but there is no way to know what's going to happen to you by then. I don't want to risk your life. I'm not going to give you this unless you are absolutely positive that you want-"

It was her turn to silence him with a kiss, quickly snatching the vial out of his hand.

"Silly wolf, of course I want to be your mate. Of course I do…more than anything…" her smile never faltered as her eyes filled with tears of joy.

Kouga beamed and gently lifted Kagome out of his lap and onto the bedding, "Don't move," he said as he jogged out of the room.

He returned a few moments later carrying a wooden bowl, gauze, and a small dagger. He sat down and placed all of the items to the side. He picked up the dagger and, using just the tip of the blade, sliced a shallow cut across his palm. He measured out the ten drops of blood into the bowl before wrapping his hand in the gauze and uncorking the vial. He poured the potion into the bowl, mixing it with the blood, and as the two liquids met, the mixture began fizzling and crackling. The concoction suddenly turned a very unusual shade of purple.

Kouga handed the bowl to Kagome, who looked at him skeptically.

"Just try it?"

Kagome sighed and tentatively took a sip. She licked her lips and smiled at a very anxious wolf prince, "Mmm, it tastes like grape juice," she laughed before draining the rest of the bowl.

"Now what?" she asked.

"We wait, I guess," Kouga shrugged, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "But I have an idea about how we can pass the time."

He shoved everything away from them, took her face between his warm hands, and pressed his lips to hers passionately.

Kagome responded immediately as she wrapped he arms around his neck and pulled him as close as possible.

Kouga gently laid her down on the fur bedding and hovered over her, detaching his lips from hers. He began trailing kisses down her neck and across her collarbone.

Kagome moaned in pleasure as his large hands traveled up and down her sides, sending electric shocks throughout her entire body. Kouga pulled away and the miko groaned at the loss of contact.

Kouga expertly removed his armor, as Kagome ran her hands over the toned planes of his chest. Kouga shivered. He pulled the miko's top over her head and threw it somewhere on the floor, leaving her in her bra and skirt. His hands gently caressed the soft, exposed skin of her stomach. His tail swished lazily back and forth against her leg, making her giggle.

Kouga laid down on top of her again, resting all of his weight on his forearms, so that every inch of their bodies touched. They could both feel the electrical energy that coursed through them like a circuit, connecting them in an amazing way.

Kagome wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss, which he responded to eagerly. She was like an aphrodisiac to him, and he would never, could never, ever refuse her anything. While their tongues danced in the most intimate way, they somehow managed maneuver out of the rest of their clothing.

They made love passionately. Moving slowly and sensually, they embraced each other fully and came together as one for the first of many times.

As Kouga took Kagome as his lifelong mate, he knew that the four years of waiting had been more than worth it.

Kagome awoke the next morning feeling at peace and utterly content for the first time in her life. She could feel Kouga's body pressed against hers, surrounding her with a feeling of warmth and safety. She turned around to face him and saw the softness and love in his eyes burning for her and only her.

"Good morning, love," he whispered.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" she sighed sleepily.

He gave her a toothy grin, "_Fang_tastic."

Kagome giggled at his foolishness, "Kouga, that was _so_ corny."

Kouga's grin widened, "Corny, eh? I'll give you corny!" He quickly flipped her onto her back and began tickling her senseless. She simply couldn't stop laughing - it got to the point where her stomach started hurting.

"Alright! Alright!"

He swiftly bent down and captured her lips in a sweet, gently kiss His hand ran along the juncture between her neck and shoulder, tracing the spot where she finally bore his mark.

"Well, that's one way to wake up," she smiled.

"We'll have to do that more often. I like waking up that way."

* * *

The next few days were strange for Kagome. For one thing, Kouga rarely left her side. And even when he did, either Ginta or Hakkaku took his place. It irritated her that she had to deal with _babysitters_ from dawn 'til dusk every day. When she asked why this was really necessary, it was always the same response:

"You're Kouga's mate, now, and officially part of the pack. It's only logical that Kouga would be even more protective of you."

Kagome found it a bit offensive; even though Kouga was acting out of love, she wasn't a child. If he was going to keep this up much longer, she was definitely going to have a discussion with him.

About two weeks after mating, Kagome began feeling ill. She was getting mild headaches, her stomach was constantly flipping every which way, and she could barely keep her food down for more than an hour.

After a _persuasive_ argument, it was agreed that she would travel back to her time for a few days to see a doctor. The only stipulation would be that both Ginta _and_ Hakkaku would be escorting her to and from the well.

A little while later, Kagome was hunched over on one of those extremely uncomfortable plastic chairs in the hospital waiting room. A newborn wailing a few seats away did nothing for her pounding headache, if not make it worse.

"Kagome Higurashi?" Said girl looked up through tired, half-lidded eyes. "Dr. Kenko is ready to see you now,"  
the older nurse called. She looked at Kagome with concern before leading her into one of the examination rooms.

Kagome only had to wait a few minutes before a fair skinned, American woman with blonde, pixie-cut hair strolled into the room. She looked to be in her mid to late forties and her smile crept into her violet eyes. She wore a loose, teal t-shirt, tan trousers, and a white lab coat that was unbuttoned.

"So, Kagome, how are things going?" Sandra Kenko had been Kagome's pediatrician since birth, and had become her main physician once she had turned nineteen. Kenko was also the only person outside of the Higurashi household who knew about Kagome's travels in the Feudal Era.

"Well, I'm getting married soon…"

"Dr. Kenko's eyes lit up, "Oh, Kagome, that's wonderful! Is it that InuYasha boy you're always talking about?"

The young girl winced at the name of her former crush, "No, do you remember me telling you about the wolf demon, Kouga?"

The older woman sat down on her stool and rolled over to a table in the corner of the room. "You mean the one who was always following you?"

Kagome nodded before a wave of nausea hit her. The wax paper crunched under her as her body shifted to lay on her side.

"Okay, down to business then. So, what seems to be the problem?"

Kagome relayed her symptoms to the doctor, who vigorously took notes. She gave Kagome a plastic cup and asked for a urine sample.

Once the young miko returned, Sandra Kenko dipped a thin stick into the liquid and turned towards Kagome, smiling, "Kagome…how do I put this…all of your symptoms are pointing towards one thing. I think you might be pregnant, and your morning sickness is causing all of the headaches and nausea."

Kagome's eyes nearly bulged out of her head, "What? How is that possible? It's only been two weeks! I can't be getting morning sickness already!" She remembered from her health class - of the few she had attended while searching for the jewel - that the morning sickness shouldn't start until six weeks into the first trimester of the pregnancy. She was almost to the point of hyperventilation when the doctor took Kagome's hand to calm her down.

"Kagome, relax. You said that this Kouga is a _wolf_ _demon_, right? Well, I'm not very familiar with demonic pregnancies, but perhaps the timing is shorter for them than for humans? That would explain why your morning sickness has already started, if you're even pregnant at all-"

Just then, the timer went off and Sandra picked up the test, "Congratulations, Kagome. You're going to be a mother."

* * *

Hey, guys. Don't look at me like that! At least it's a good ending! Yay! They've finally mated! And it only took them…23 chapters to do it! And Ayame is out of their hair! (KanamexYuuki fan must be loving this…aren't you? I'm sorry that I didn't kill her.)

Don't worry, things will work out…I hope…

And I want to thank those of you who are keeping with this story, I know you're probably all pissed off with me. But I _**WILL**_ get it done. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

I'll try to post again soon…but as I said, this is my last semester of college, so I'm sure classes are going to be brutal.

Next time: I have some new characters coming in (more or less cameo appearances) and the group is on another journey! Where? You'll see. Until then!


	24. The Visitors

Hi all. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. School. But I'm out now, so I should have more time to write and update. Here's chapter 24! Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 24: The Visitors

Kagome's eyes slowly fluttered open and she took in her hazy surroundings. Once her mind caught up with the situation, she bolted upright and her heart began pounding in her chest.

She was pregnant.

She was pregnant with Kouga's baby.

The first question that popped into her head was: How was she going to tell Kouga?

* * *

The miko was back down the well the next day, still trying to think of a way to break the news to her mate. She told her escorts that she would be fine in a few days, but they were still skeptical.

"Really guys. I'll be fine. It's just a little cold," she lied. They still didn't believe her, but didn't push and pry.

Once they were back at the den, Kouga was the first to catch sight of them. He pulled his woman into a tight embrace and kissed her soundly on the lips. He then noticed that she still had a slight fever and her complexion was paler than usual. When she gave him the same story she had told Ginta and Hakkaku, he also didn't buy it, but gave her the benefit of the doubt, and trusted that she knew what she was doing.

A few hours later found Kouga relaxing against the back wall of the cave with Kagome settled comfortably in his lap. They sat, watching Shippou and Stardust playing in front of them. Lightning flanked Kouga's left side, resting on his stomach as he watched, amused, as the two rough-housed.

A low, deep howl suddenly ripped through the air and Kouga was instantly on his feet, Kagome standing next to him. His wolf partner was on his other side, growling defensively. Both Shippou and Stardust raced behind the miko, peeking out from behind her legs.

A large wolf, at least twice the size of Lightning, with deep red fur and matching ruby-colored eyes, was a few feet in front of them, snarling at Kagome. Lightning immediately took a protective stance in front of his mistress and glared right back at the older wolf.

"Crimson," Kouga growled.

"Kouga?"

He looked at Kagome with a blank expression. "Crimson is my father's life partner. He only comes here when there is an important message."

Just then, Crimson stalked up to them, his eyes never leaving Lightning's. Once he reached the demon prince, the red wolf leaned forward so Kouga could untie the parchment on his back. He then pulled back, glaring at Kagome again. While Kouga was reading the note, Kagome took a step toward her mate, leaving more space between Crimson and herself.

Bad move.

The older wolf's eyes flashed angrily before he lunged at the human girl.

He was knocked out of mid air, however, by a white blur. All eyes in the cave zeroed in on the newest wolf. She had a perfect white, almost silver coat, and bright, ice-blue eyes. She glared down at Crimson, who merely growled in response, making no move to get up.

Kouga suddenly began laughing heartily. Kagome looked up at him as if he had gone insane, but he just grinned.

"That's Ivory, my mother's partner. Some things never change. Crimson was always the bully. He thought it was funny to jump on us and snap at us when we were young. Ivory was the only one who could keep him in line."

The white wolf glanced at Kagome warily before trotting up to Kouga with her own message. She then slowly walked toward the miko and sniffed before licking her hand.

Crimson growled, clearly not pleased with the exchange. Ivory glared at him, and Crimson quickly tucked his tail between his legs.

Stardust didn't like th the older wolf being so friendly with her partner. The little puppy tried to jump at Ivory, but she was stopped when Lightning trapped her tail between his paw and the cave floor. Ivory looked down at the black pup with an amused twinkle in her eye.

Kagome gently picked up Stardust and laughed, "Aw, you aren't jealous, are you, sweetie? Don't worry, you'll always be my number one."

"Ahem."

"My number one wolf."

Ivory gently nuzzled Kagome's hand, jumped up and licked Kouga's cheek, and started strutting out of the cave.  
She glanced over her shoulder at Crimson and let out a commanding bark. The red wolf quickly followed, glaring at Kagome all the while.

"Well, Kouga, what do the messages say?"

"My father is holding a family meeting now that Naraku is gone."

"And your mother?"

Kouga groaned, "It was a warning...my father's main reason for wanting me there is to discuss my engagement to Ayame."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Well that's just wonderful."

* * *

The next week was spent preparing for the journey to the Southern Lands. It was a rare moment when Kagome and Kouga had any free time together; so Kagome hadn't had the time to tell her mate of her pregnancy.

It had been decided that Hakkaku and Ginta would accompany Kouga and Kagome on their trip. Kimae was going to take charge in the wolf prince's absence, with Lightning's help, of course. Shippou was the most reluctant for Kagome and Kouga to leave, with a whimpering, Stardust, a close second.

"Mama, can't I come with you and Daddy?"

Kagome held the crying child close to her chest. "Not this time, Shippou. I'm sorry."

Kouga took the kit out of his fiancee's arms and grinned. "Cheer up, kid. I need you to stay here and take care of the pack while we're gone. Think you can do that for me?" he asked, setting Shippou on the ground and ruffling his hair playfully.

The redhead puffed his chest out proudly and nodded eagerly. "Of course, papa. You can count on me!" Kouga's heart swelled with joy when Shippou called him "papa". It was something he would never tire of hearing.

"Kouga! Kagome! We're all set to move out!" Ginta called from the forest's edge as he waved both of his arms above his head excitedly. The couple laughed as they each said their goodbyes. Kouga took the lead as he laced his fingers with Kagome's and gently pulled her into the dense, green trees.

The first half of the journey was extremely uneventful. Aside from a few stray rabbits and deer, the group didn't come across anything remotely interesting. They bedded down for the night in a small clearing surrounded by woods. Ginta and Hakkaku were curled up by the campfire, their soft snores keeping rhythm with the chirping of the crickets. Not far off, Kouga was reclining against a large cherry tree with his legs stretched out in front of him. He heard a small cooing and smiled down at his lap where his mate was resting her head. As he gently stroked her soft, ebony hair, she sighed gently and snuggled closer to him, a small smile on her lips.

His eyes snapped up and he scanned the surrounding forest. He lifted Kagome's head from his lap and quickly replaced it with a pillow from Kagome's pack. Cautiously, he strode over to his comrads and shook them awake.

"Kouga? Wha-?" The wolf prince quickly clapped his hands over their mouths to muffle their voices. Their questioning eyes grew wide as they heard a twig snap in the darkness.

The three demons were on their feet in seconds; Ginta was ordered to stay behind and protect Kagome while Kouga and Hakkaku raced noiselessly into the depths of the forest.

After half an hour of fruitless searching, Kouga and Hakkaku headed back to the camp, tired and annoyed. A loud, piercing scream echoed through he trees. The two wolf demons ran back to the clearing. Kagome was backed up against the cherry tree, a thick bear pelt wrapped around her lithe form. Ginta was crouched defensively in front of her. There was a thin cut above his right eye and deep claw marks on his left arm; they started at his shoulder and dragged all he way down to the crook of this elbow. He was panting heavily and his form shook violently. Pacing a few feet away was a huge, snow-white lynx that was more than triple the normal size. Its large black eyes were locked on Kagome, carefully watching her every move.

Kagome quickly glanced in her mate's direction. She nearly called out his name in panic, but he silenced her. The oversized cat didn't know of his presence, and he didn't want to give away the element of surprise. Thankfully, he was downwind. Silently, he and Hakkaku circled the beast, trying to get a clear shot. The wolf prince noticed a tall cliff about fifty yards off to the side; he grinned widely. Ginta and Hakkaku followed his gaze and soon were wearing identical, dark smirks. Hakkaku crept up behind it, careful of his steps so as not to alert the cat by crushing a stick. Kouga snuck off to the left, trapping the lynx so there was no escape-unless it wanted to jump off the cliff.

The group of wolf demons suddenly tensed as the wind shifted in the opposite direction. Everything went quiet, and the oversized cat froze mid-step. It suddenly hissed as its head snapped towards Kouga. The wolf demons inched forward, growling fiercely. Fear flashed through the lynx's stony grey eyes for an instant as it took a cautious step backwards.

Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku smiled wickedly as they closed in on the giant beast. Like any cornered cat, it began hissing and spitting. It lashed out with its massive paw, landing a blow against Hakkaku's metal chest plate. The wolf with the mohawk was sent sprawling out onto his back a few yards away. He quickly jumped to his feet and shook off the dizziness before resuming his place next to Kouga.

The wildcat arched its back and crept closer to the cliff, until his heels were hanging off the edge. Its crazed, grey eyes darted everywhere, searching for an escape route. The then landed on Kagome who had moved away from the tree and was staring wide-eyed at the scene before her. The lynx snarled and pounced over Kouga's head towards the miko.

The wolf prince and his two lieutenants quickly grabbed the cat by the tail in mid air and yanked it back, sending it flying backwards of the edge of the cliff into the rapids below. Kouga and his boys smirked smugly as they saw the lynx swimming against the current to the other side of the river.

"_Ginta_!"

Kouga's head whipped around, just in time to see the said wolf demon stumbling over the edge. The prince lunged forward and was able to wrap his strong hand around his friend's limp wrist. He began sliding toward the sheer drop, so he grasped a sturdy tree root in his free hand, holding fast.

Hakkaku was at his side in an instant, latching on to Ginta's forearm, and helped Kouga pull him back onto solid ground. It appeared that the slash marks on Ginta's arm had stopped bleeding; however, they had turned green with an infection. He was quickly wrapped up in Kagome's extra sleeping bag and an herbal salve was rubbed along the wound. A small bandage was applied to the cut above his brow. He was covered in a cold sweat and fell asleep with a slightly elevated temperature.

It wasn't until mid-afternoon the next day that Ginta awoke. His fever had only broken that morning and he seemed to be in a grumpy mood. Apparently, the lieutenant felt weak and useless since he couldn't even "fight off a stupid cat", as he put it. No matter what they said, neither Kouga nor Hakkaku could break through to him.

It was only when they had gone hunting and Kagome had given him a stern talking to, did he stop berating himself. As soon as she had finished her tirade, Ginta just looked up and gave her a huge grin.

"We always knew you would be the perfect alpha-female for our tribe."

* * *

Hope you liked it! The plot seems to be thickening, ne?

Next time: the family…that's all I'm saying…

Until then. *SB*


	25. Family Ties

WARNING! Major adult content! Mentioning of rape! Read at your own risk! THIS IS WHY IT'S RATED M PEOPLE!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. The characters and story are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own this storyline and any original characters that will appear: Dokubutsu, Kimae, Sei, Uchiki, Stardust, Lightning, Rei-Teki, Okayaki, Yukan, Kin, Chi, Namaiki, Niji, and more.

* * *

Chapter 25: Family Ties

By mid-afternoon, Ginta was almost completely healed, so the group continued their travels toward the Southern Lands.

As night fell, they were only a few miles away from Kouga's childhood home. They could have arrived in about two hours, but they needed to rest for Kagome's sake; the poor miko was beyond exhausted, which worried Kouga more.

Not only was she sleeping more frequently, she had been vomiting constantly. But, whenever he would call her out on it, she would merely wave it off as a small virus, not ready to tell him the truth just yet.

When they reached the next hilltop, Kagome's breath caught in her throat. On the opposite side of the greenest glen was a large castle, like those seen in fairytale books. A long, cobblestone walkway wound its way through the grass, leading to a monumental set of frosted glass doors. The walls were constructed of black marble that glistened in the dawn's sunlight. The meadow surrounding it was covered in a blanket of wildflowers dancing in the breeze, fenced in by a forest.

Kouga gently took a hold of Kagome's hand and began leading her down the hillside.

"Well…what do you think?" he asked anxiously.

"It's beautiful..." she whispered, and the wolf prince smiled brightly.

"Wah!"

Suddenly, Ginta lost his footing on the steep slope and crashed into Hakkaku, causing both of them to tumble down the grass. Unfortunately, Kouga and Kagome were also knocked off their feet, so the foursome fell into a pile at the base of the hill, with Ginta and Hakkaku on the bottom.

"Graceful as ever, huh little brother?"

"Eh, put a lid on it, Kin." Kouga snapped at the older wolf demon, who was smirking a few feet away, as he helped Kagome to her feet.

"Aw, you hurt my feelings, Kouga," Kin pouted childishly. "Ouch!"

A resounding smack echoed across the field and a female wolf demon was standing next to him, glaring.

"Chi, what was that for?"

"Grow up Kin. You're 150 years old; start acting like it!"

The two new demons stood glaring at one another. The male, Kin, was very tan, and had his shoulder length brown hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. His pelt and tail were an inky black, and he had a chest plate similar to Kouga's, but it was gold instead of silver. His eyes were a bright blue. Chi, with the same color eyes, had black hair that was in a plait down to her shoulders. Her skin was fairer than Kin's, but still tanned. She wore a brown fur tube top and a pelt that were a shade or so lighter than Kouga's, as was her tail.

She then walked over to Kouga and grinned. "It's been too long, kid. How are you?" She gave him a warm hug.

"I've been great, actually. More so in the last few weeks, to tell you the truth," he replied honestly, wrapping an arm around Kagome's waist. He glanced over his sister's shoulder and smirked at the oncoming figure.

"Hey, Nam! Still causing trouble, bro?"

The newest demon jogged over, grinning. If it weren't for his blue eyes, Kagome never would have guessed he was Kouga's brother. Short, red hair was pulled back at the nape of the neck in a style that was similar to Miroku's, and his pelt was reddish brown in color. His chest plate was copper.

"You know it!" His eyes then fell on the miko. "Hey Kouga, who's the broad?"

"Watch it, kid. Do _not _talk about my woman like that, got it?" He gave 'Nam' a stern, older-brother glare.

All three demons cocked their heads curiously and stared at Kagome, who flushed bright pink and ducked her head in embarrassment.

"So this, _human_, is your woman, huh?" Kin was the one to break the silence. His tone was surprised.

Kouga grinned proudly, while Kagome curled further into his side. "Mate, actually." He pulled Kagome's hair to the side, showing off the bite marks that claimed her as his.

Chi smiled kindly and opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

"Kouga onii-chan!"

A brilliant smile lit up his face as he saw a young girl, no more than ten, racing across the meadow. She skillfully leapt into his arms and hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Hey, Niji, how's my baby sister doing?" he said as he set her on her feet. Upon closer inspection, Niji was almost a mini Kouga. Her long, ebony hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her skin was a sandy brown. She had baby blue eyes that shone with complete and utter adoration for her older brother.

"I've missed you, Kouga-kun. Why don't you visit me?" she pouted, "and I'm not a baby anymore!"

Kouga laughed. "I'm sorry. I've just been busy." He glanced at Kagome and grinned.

Niji stared up at the miko with an identical smile. "Wow, you're really pretty. Are you with Kouga?"

Kagome crouched down to her level and nodded. The girl squealed loudly, before launching herself at Kagome. "Yay! I have a big sister!"

Chi looked at her in shock and mock hurt. "What about me?"

"You're too old. You never spend time with me." She glared at Chi, making all of the men laugh.

Niji turned back to Kagome and smiled, "What's your name?"

"Kagome."

"Kagome, will you come and play with me?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I'm very tired. We can play later, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

It was then that the group heard a couple of moans and groans coming form behind them. They turned around and couldn't help but laugh.

Ginta and Hakkaku, who had been lying unconscious at the base of the hill, were finally waking up. Ginta rose to his hands and knees, shaking his head. Hakkaku sat up, leaning back on one arm. He winced and rubbed the side of his head.

Niji skipped over to them and smiled, "Hey, Hakkaku-san." She turned to Ginta and her entire demeanor changed; she began swaying from side to side and blushed shyly "Um, hi, Ginta-kun."

Kouga smirked and leaned closer to Kagome. "Niji's had a crush on Ginta since she was five."

Niji glared at her brother, but her face flushed brighter. Ginta grinned at the wolf cub. "Hey, Niji. How is my favorite princess doing?"

"Good, how are you Ginta-kun?" she whispered.

"Better," he chuckled.

"So, Kagome..." Namaiki cut in, "how old are you?" He sauntered closer and lifted an eyebrow suggestively.

Kagome put a hand on Kouga's chest to restrain him and smiled sweetly, "You aren't flirting with me, are you? Because, I don't think Ayame would appreciate that."

Kouga and Kin snickered as Namaiki blushed and looked away, mumbling an "of course not."

Chi clapped her hands once to get everyone's attention. "Well, not that this hasn't been thrilling, but I'm sure Kagome is exhausted from the trip."

As if on cue, Kagome yawned and leaned further into Kouga's embrace. Kouga chuckled lightly before sweeping her up into his arms and dashed into the castle.

* * *

Kagome was out as soon as her head hit the pillow. She woke up the next morning, cuddled up to Kouga's side, and a content sigh slipped past her lips. Glancing up, she gazed into the smiling blue eyes of her mate.

"Hey, sleepyhead. I take it you rested well?"

"Mmm, what time is it?"

"A little after noon."

"What!" she screeched, jolting up in bed. "Why didn't you wake me up?" She ran across the room to her bag and grabbed her watch. It read 1:04.

"You were exhausted and needed to sleep. Plus, you've been sick lately; I wanted you to get as much rest as possible."

At the mention of being ill, Kagome rushed to the wash basin in the corner of the room and emptied her stomach of whatever contents were in it. Kouga followed on her heels and knelt down next to her, pulling her hair back out of her face.

"Sweetheart, I think I should take you to the healer."

"No, no, I'm fine, Kouga. _Really I am._" Kouga looked at her skeptically. "Listen, if I'm still feeling like this when we get home, I'll go see my healer from my time, okay?"

Kouga sighed in defeat and nodded. There was no point in arguing with her. He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the bed. "Kouga, I'm..."

As soon as she was settled under the covers, there was a loud banging at the door.

"Big brother!"

Kouga opened the door to find Niji jumping up and down excitedly. "Is Kagome ready to play with me now?"

"I'm sorry, Niji. Kagome isn't feeling well right now. Maybe you should come back some other time."

Kagome caught a glimpse of the pout on the cub's face and smiled softly.

"Hey, Niji, do you want to hear a story?"

Niji's blue eyes lit up and she bounded into the room, jumping onto the bed.

"Yeah!"

Kouga chuckled at his sister as she lay down on her stomach and propped her head up on her hands.

"Hmmm, do you want to know how Kouga and I first met?"

Niji's eyes lit up and she kicked her feet back and forth excitedly, "Ohh, was it love at first sight?"

Kagome laughed. "Not exactly. To be honest, I pretty much hated him in the beginning."

"Kagome, do you have to tell this story? I already apologized, and I'm trying to forget what I did," Kouga groaned.

Niji glared at her brother as he sat down beside Kagome on the bed, wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders. "What did you do onii-chan?"

"Nothing much. I just kidnapped her is all," he smirked.

_"What?"_

And so the tale of Kouga and Kagome's first meeting began.

The next week passed without incident; in other words, Kagome was bored out of her mind. Kouga had been in and out of meetings with his parents, brothers, and sister, so a bit of alone time was a rarity for them. Ginta and Hakkaku had been MIA since the first day they'd arrived; Kagome was really starting to miss them.

As a result, her only form of entertainment was spending time playing with Niji. Suffice it to say, trying to keep up with a ten year old wolf demon cub, while pregnant no less, was a job in itself. Four days later, Kagome was exhausted.

Kouga had been released from one of the meetings early and headed to their room, talking animatedly with Namaiki along the way.

Opening the door, he found Kagome lazing in the center of the bed, reading one of the books she'd brought from her time. She looked up at him as he entered and smiled.

Namaiki peeked his head in the door and grinned. "Hey Kagome," he chirped before continuing down the hall to his own room.

Kouga took off his armor and set it on the floor before joining Kagome on the bed. "Hey, sweetheart," he cooed in her ear and kissed her temple. He wrapped an arm around her and she, in turn, rested her head on his shoulder, setting her book down.

"Hey, Kouga? I have a question," she looked at him, glanced at the door, then back at him. Kouga's eyes lit up with understanding.

"You're curious about Namaiki," he stated

Kagome nodded, "I wasn't going to say anything, but I was a bit surprised when you said that he was your brother."

"Well, Nam is really only my half-brother."

Kagome gasped, "You mean like InuYasha is to Sesshomaru? He's a hanyou?"

Kouga sighed, "No, he's not a hanyou. He's what you would call an "akurei-ni" or "two demons". You see, Namaiki _is_ half wolf demon, but he's also half _dog_ demon."

His mate looked at him curiously. "But, how is that possible? Both of your parents are wolf demons, right?" Kagome was getting very confused.

The wolf prince's eyes fell to the bed and his voice became shaky. Kagome wrapped her arms around his chest in a comforting manner.

"Namaiki wasn't exactly a _planned_ pregnancy. I remember that night very well. I was only six years old…

* * *

_A young Kouga tossed and turned restlessly in his bed. After about two hours of trying, and failing, to go to sleep, he scooted out of bed and shivered as his feet touched the cold stone floor. He padded across the room and quietly, or stealthily in his mind, opened the door and tip-toed down the hallway. He knew it was against the rules for him to be out of bed so late at night, but what else was he supposed to do? Go crazy from boredom?_

_As he passed his parents' bedroom, he heard a muffled cry and a loud bang echo down the halls. There were two more bangs and Kouga opened the door a crack and peered inside. What he saw would scar him for the rest of his life._

_His mother was lying on the bed, sobbing. She was being pinned down by a strange demon who was naked on top of her. The bed was being pushed against the wall; the cause of the banging. Kouga stared in horror for a few seconds before screaming._

"_MOMMY! DADDY, COME QUICK! KIN! SOMEBODY! HELP!" _

_At the sound of his voice, the stranger turned around and stared, ruby eyes glaring daggers at him._

_Kin was the first one there. He wrenched the door open and saw what Kouga had seen. The sconces lit up the room and showed a nude dog demon sexually attacking the Lady of the South._

"_Get the hell off of her!" Kin cried as he shot into the room, grabbed the demon by his short, orange hair, and yanked him off the bed. _

_Kouga's father arrived a few moments later and openly stared at the scene before him: his older son beating the tar out of the intruder, his wife laying on the bed, crying helplessly as she tried to cover herself, and his youngest child gawking at the whole thing._

"_Chi! Get your brother out of here!" His daughter, who had been a few steps behind him, quickly dashed toward Kouga and grabbed his arm. She pulled him to her and carried him off, back to his room, crying the whole way._

* * *

"I was told later what had really happened. Soon after the…_attack_…my mother found out she was pregnant with Namaiki," Kouga choked.

Tears slid silently down Kagome's cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Kouga. Does Namaiki know…" she trailed off, not sure if she wanted the answer.

Kouga nodded, "Yeah, he knows the basics. The family doesn't bring it up. It wasn't his fault, so there's no need to rub it in his face," he laughed bitterly, "I guess you can understand why I have an aversion to InuYasha."

Kagome scowled, wiping away her tears on the sleeve of her nightgown, "It's not his fault he's part dog demon."

"Oh, I know, but I'm kinda biased when it comes to dog demons. After what I saw, it's pretty hard not to be," Kouga sighed again, "but I do love my brother. Nothing can change that."

Kagome smiled at her mate. He grinned cockily back as he pulled her into his lap. He growled playfully, "Even though InuYasha is part dog demon, the main reason why I didn't like him was because he was always trying to keep you away from me. But not anymore," He kissed her soundly on the lips.

* * *

Poor Nam, but at least it's all in the past. Another OC background- not sure how much it relates to the story, but I feel that the OCs need a bit of extra information. Plus it explains why Kouga hated InuYasha so much.

Sorry I have been MIA for…8 months…No real excuse…job hunting…worrying about student loans… gain and loss of a job…blah blah blah…As I said, no excuse.

Oh! And I've lost all of my documents, pictures, and videos from my computer…great, huh?

I'll try to post again before my b-day (February 28th), but no promises. I will finish this story, or die trying. That I CAN and WILL promise.

Next chapter is the parents.

*SB*


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